College Battle Games
by Solora Goldsun
Summary: On her first day of college, when Pyrrha spots a group of people clad in medieval garb and hitting each other with foam weapons, she slips away from her orientation group almost immediately. When greeted by one of the fighters, a friendly blond boy named Jaune, she knows that she made the right choice. (Dagorhir AU)
1. Opening Weekend

**This idea came to me out of the blue when I decided that I wanted to try my hand at a College AU. I thought about what activities I have done during my college career that would be unique to write about and immediately thought of Dagorhir. Now, for those who don't know, Dagorhir Battle Games is an organization of people who enjoy the various activities offered such as camping trips, full-contact simulated battles, and dressing up in garb. It's a ton of fun and I'd highly recommend it!**

 **On to the Dag AU details. In this universe, Pyrrha is a freshman living at Beacon University alongside Ren, Nora, Blake, Yang, and Weiss (who is also her roommate). Jaune lives in Vale and commutes to Beacon, and has been with the Dag group for two years already. Ruby is a high school senior who joined up a few months ago. Doctor Oobleck is the head of the Beacon branch of the organization. I'll be adjusting their canon weapons to make them closer to legal Dag weapons (meaning that Ruby does not fight with a scythe, unfortunately). Also, it's a real-world AU with no Grimm, Faunus, etc. I hope you enjoy it!**

Pyrrha had been waiting for over an hour for the perfect excuse to ditch her freshman orientation group. When her eyes fell on a gathering of people clad in medieval garb, she knew she had found it. She stole a glance at the orientation leader, who was talking to another bored-looking freshman, before turning and walking decisively toward the large lawn in front of the next building.

As she drew closer, she saw that the costumed people were fighting with large weapons that were probably made of cloth or foam. Some were fighting in pairs while a larger group was having a full-on battle in the middle of the lawn. The closest fighting pair consisted of a small brunette girl who was holding a giant two-handed sword, and a taller blond boy who held a smaller sword in one hand and a foam shield in the other. The girl wore a gray tunic, black leggings, and a red cloak while the boy wore brown slacks and a simple green tunic bordered with brown on the collar and sleeves.

The girl swung her sword at the shield, hitting it twice in rapid succession. "Red! Red!" she called.

The boy dropped his shield before raising his sword and lunging forward. The girl whacked his midsection and he fell heavily to the ground, letting out a dramatic groan. His friend laughed and started hitting his prone form.

"Hey!" the boy laughed, curling into a ball. "That's overkill! Barty! The Rose Knight is being mean to me!"

"Oh, suck it up!" a green haired man who was taking part in the battle called, not even looking over his shoulder.

Pyrrha couldn't help but smile at how close these people seemed. There was an air of casual camaraderie that many sports and clubs often lacked, at least in her experience.

When the boy was finally allowed to stand by his friend, he turned toward Pyrrha with a grin. "Hi. You interested in swinging some foam?"

"Yes. It looks fun," Pyrrha replied, feeling even more at ease when she heard the boy's friendly tone. "What are the rules?"

"Barty will explain," the girl chirped. "He's in charge, and he'll probably want you to sign a waiver first. I'll go get him!" She zipped over to the battle, waiting at the edge for it to finish.

"I'm Jaune, by the way," the boy said, holding out his hand. "My Dag name is Arc Angel."

"I'm Pyrrha." Pyrrha gave his hand a firm shake. "Is Dag the name of this LARP group, then?"

"Technically, we aren't a LARP group," Jaune explained. "LARPing is like tabletop roleplaying with reenacted battles. Dagorhir, which what this is called, is more of a sport."

At that moment, the green-haired man approached. Unlike his younger counterparts, he had a full costume with brown pants, a green tunic, and leather armor on his arms and chest. He also wore a large thermos on his belt that had various designs on it that looked Celtic in origin. He adjusted his glasses and smiled welcomingly. "Looks like we have some newcomers. Splendid!"

Pyrrha looked over her shoulder, realizing that she wasn't the only freshman to slip away from her group. Standing a few feet back were a dark-haired boy and a small ginger girl. They both smiled at her when she looked at them.

"Welcome!" the man continued. "If you wish to fight, I must ask that you each fill out a waiver. It won't take more than a minute. Then, I'll explain the rules and let you fight in pairs. After that, you can join our next game. My name is Doctor Oobleck. I'm a professor here, as well as the head of this particular branch of Dagorhir. On the field, I'm known as Lord Oobleck or Barty. As long as you keep those names here and out of the classroom, we will have no trouble. Any questions?"

Despite the rapidity of Barty's speech, no one had any questions.

After the obligatory signing of the waivers, they started to learn the rules. When fighting, one is supposed to use their weapons to kill their opponent. A kill is accomplished by either hitting two limbs or landing one blow anywhere in the bathing suit area between the chest and hips. If an arm gets hit, that person has to drop any weapon or shield in that hand and put it behind their back. If a leg gets hit, the person has to go down on one knee. Depending on the game being played, a person can potentially respawn after being killed.

"Now, since you're beginners, you start with blue weapons. Those are your basic, one-handed weapons. Jaune's sword is an example of a blue." Barty pointed toward Jaune, who held up his sword. The blade was made of firm foam and covered in cloth. The hilt was made with a PVC pipe covered in black tape with a foam hilt. "You can use any of the blue weapons and shields in the loaner pile over there."

The ginger girl, who introduced herself as Nora, eagerly raised her hand. "Ooh! Does a giant hammer or maul count as a blue?"

"No, that would be a red," Barty replied, pointing to the brunette girl's two-handed sword. "You won't be using those for a few weeks. If you stick with Dag, you will graduate to yellow and green weapons, and then eventually red and black ones."

Yellow weapons were projectiles and green weapons were "stabby" weapons. Both were padded with soft furniture foam or Nerf balls. Red and black weapons were much larger and hurt significantly more when someone was hit with them.

After covering the basics, Barty allowed them to pair up. Nora paired with her dark-haired friend, whose name was Ren. Jaune volunteered to partner with Pyrrha. The brunette girl, who had introduced herself as Ruby (Dag name: The Rose Knight) went to fight with another member.

Jaune put his shield down and got into a battle stance that Pyrrha tried to imitate. "Okay, come at me," he instructed.

Pyrrha looked for an opening before lunging forward, swinging at his side. He retaliated by going for her arm, just barely missing. She jumped back before moving in again, this time swinging at his left leg. By sheer luck, she hit it. When the blond went down on one knee, she thought her next hit would be an easy one, but he managed to put up a fight, spinning himself around with his right leg and swinging his sword whenever she came too close. Finally, she ran around behind him, managing to catch him off balance and get a hit at his back.

"How was that?" she asked as he stood.

"Not bad," Jaune replied. "Your movements were too wild, though. You need to learn to do short, quick movements, or you leave yourself open for too long, like when you went for my arm." He demonstrated by stepping forward and swinging his sword with only a flick of his wrist. "It takes a bit of practice."

After a few more rounds, Pyrrha felt that her moves were a bit more contained. She won one of the fights while Jaune won the others. One thing that became clear was that her opponent wasn't holding back or trying to be gentle with his hits on account of her being a girl. She definitely appreciated that.

Eventually, she switched off and did a few rounds with Ren, who seemed almost too scared to hit her. She could hear loud sounds of impact behind her, where Nora and Jaune were fighting. At one point, she heard him say: "Holy crap, you're fierce!" The small ginger giggled in response.

Barty walked over just as Pyrrha defeated Ren once again. "Good, good. How would you like to try some games now?"

Jaune walked over, rubbing his arm where Nora had hit him. "How about Orc Pit?"

"Just what I was thinking. Everyone get in a circle!" Barty called.

"That sounds way better than those stupid icebreakers they were trying to make us do," Nora snorted as she walked toward the gathering circle. "Hey, Pyrrha? Did you have to do Pterodactyl yet?"

Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "You mean the one where we screech at the person next to us and try to make them laugh? Sadly, yes."

Jaune winced. "That just sounds painful. I'm glad I commute."

"Oh, you're a student?" Pyrrha's face lit up.

"Yep," Jaune said. "I live in town and decided to cut down on the student loans by going here. Besides, it means I don't have to find a new Dag group."

"He's been doing this since two years ago," Ruby explained. "I just started last year."

Once the group was in a circle, Barty quickly explained the rules of Orc Pit. He would tap two people to fight in the middle of the circle. The winner was replaced with a new person each round. Also, if someone wandered too close to the circle, surrounding members could kill them.

Barty wandered around the circle and Pyrrha felt a tap on her back, signaling her to enter the pit. She waited, feeling a little nervous at all of the eyes on her. Her opponent ended up being a brown-haired girl with a blue sword in her right hand and a dagger in her left. The girl watched her for a moment before jumping forward and swinging with her sword. Pyrrha jumped back, trying to block with her single sword and making a mental note to grab a shield once she was out of the pit. The girl tried to stab with her dagger and Pyrrha moved back further, only to feel a firm tap to her back. She looked over her shoulder to see Ruby flashing an apologetic grin while brandishing her red sword.

The brown-haired girl withdrew and Barty tapped in Ren, who approached Pyrrha, holding out his weapon. He hadn't fought with Jaune, and Pyrrha quickly noticed that he didn't have the same closed stance. Quickly, she darted forward and jabbed at his left arm, which he immediately put behind his back. For a few seconds, they circled each other before he suddenly lunged and swung at her right leg. She dropped down, bending her left knee while trying to cross the sword across her vulnerable side.

For a few minutes, they were at an impasse, with Ren lurching forward and Pyrrha blocking at intervals. Finally, she guessed that the others grew bored because she saw Barty run around the edge of the circle, tapping everyone's backs. In an instant, the Orc Pit turned into a free-for-all. Another player was quick to kill Pyrrha, who stood up, unsure of what to do.

Jaune noticed her confusion and pointed toward a tree. "Respawn point over there. Put your sword over your head to show you're dead."

Pyrrha did as she was told and walked over to the tree. After tapping it with her sword, she grabbed a small shield from the nearby pile and ran back into the fray. She immediately decided that she liked full battles much more than the one-on-one fights they had been doing. There were people everywhere, and she found it easier to make kills when they were partially distracted with other opponents. She certainly was killed a fair number of times, but she couldn't have cared less. This was the most fun she'd had in ages!

She had been a part of her high school's track team as well as the women's basketball team. Both had been a lot of fun, and she had made a great many friends over the years, but there had always been that undertone of competitiveness. There was always that disappointment when she didn't perform as well as she should have. This, on the other hand, was purely fun. There was no sense of failure when she was killed. There was just a good-natured laugh before respawning and running right back into the battle.

Just as she was starting to get tired, Barty called for a water break. She walked over to the respawning tree before realizing that she didn't have a water bottle.

She felt a tap on her arm and turned to see the brown-haired girl holding out a plastic bottle. "Here. Barty always brings a pack of them to practice."

"Thank you!" Pyrrha gratefully took the bottle and easily emptied a third of it in a few gulps.

"I'm Velvet, by the way," the girl continued. "My Dag name is Hyzenthlay."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Pyrrha." She took a smaller sip. "So, do you practice here every week?"

Velvet nodded. "Yes, we have an official practice each Saturday. Sometimes, a few of us will come up here during the week for smaller sparring matches. If you check out our group's forum, we post regularly when we're going to have impromptu meetings or weapon building sessions."

"Oh! I can make my own weapon?" Pyrrha was liking this organization more and more.

"It's actually encouraged." Jaune walked over, holding his own water bottle. "The loaner weapons can get pretty beat up when a bunch of newbies use them. I made this blue a few months after I joined and the shield just last month."

"You used a boogie board to make your shield, right?" Velvet asked.

"Yep!" Jaune patted the shield fondly. "All I had to do was attach straps to the back and duct tape on the cloth covering." The shield was covered with what looked like an old white sheet that was painted with two golden arcs, one on top of the other.

"Is that your house crest?" Pyrrha asked, pointing at the symbol.

Jaune nodded. "Yeah. Arc Angel has a crest and a whole backstory if you're ever bored enough to listen to it."

Feeling bold, Pyrrha said: "Well, there's a Starbucks on campus that accepts the school's meal plan. Perhaps, if you're not busy when this practice is over…"

Jaune blinked a few times. "I…really?" He quickly shook himself. "I mean yeah! Awesome! Um, practice ends at like five, right?"

Velvet nodded, barely hiding an amused smile. "Yes, that's right. Another half hour."

"Yeah, I'm up for Starbucks," Jaune continued, seeming to regain his composure. "I'm flattered that you'd skip doing more of those amazing icebreakers to hang out with me."

Pyrrha chuckled. "One day, I may get over the fact that I gave up my chance to act like a sailboat in front of a group of strangers."

"Wait, seriously?!" Jaune burst out laughing. "They're _not_ making you do that!"

"I wish I was kidding," Pyrrha sighed.

"Sailboat, huh?" Velvet asked. "I had to go through that last year. Have you had to play Pterodactyl yet?"

"I can't believe this!" Jaune declared.

After a few more battles, practice was over and the group went their separate ways. Pyrrha, Jaune, and a few others helped Barty load the loaner weapons into his car. The professor smiled at Pyrrha as he closed the trunk. "Hope to see you and the others next week. We're always looking for new members."

"I certainly plan on it," Pyrrha promised, shaking his hand before walking off with Jaune toward the Starbucks that was on campus.

"I don't have a change of clothes on me, so I hope you don't mind being seen with the dorky guy in the tunic," Jaune warned, tucking his shield under his arm.

"I'm sure a tunic isn't the weirdest thing I'll see people wearing while here," Pyrrha said. "Want me to hold something?"

"Nah, I'm fine," Jaune replied. "And yeah, I guess a tunic's pretty tame compared to what some of the students wear. There's actually a furry who lives on campus. I don't know who he is, but he'll just walk around in a full-body fox costume on weekends when the weather's cool. It's bizarre, but you gotta respect him for not caring what people think."

 _People fighting in medieval garb and others walking around dressed as humanoid animals?_ College was certainly shaping up to be far more interesting than high school had ever been. "Maybe I'll run into him at some point," Pyrrha mused. "So, tell me about your Arc Angel character."

"Well," Jaune began. "Arc Angel isn't a name he chose, but one that people started calling him when he became a rogue mercenary. He comes from a noble family, which was slaughtered during a drow invasion. All he managed to salvage was his father's shield."

He continued to talk until they got to Starbucks, where Pyrrha bought both of them lattes with her student meal plan. They sat outside on one of the benches and sipped their drinks as he continued to explain his character's backstory.

"So, after killing the drow clan that killed his family, he decided to move on to battle the undead forces to the east." He paused to take another sip. "I'm not boring you, am I?"

Pyrrha shook her head. "Not at all. I like fantasy novels, so this kind of thing is interesting for me. I'm not sure what my character's going to be quite yet."

"You'll figure it out. Most people don't settle on a name until after a few practices, anyway."

"Maybe I'll have a better idea once I know what weapon I prefer. Those javelins looked like fun."

"Ooh, javies!" Jaune shook his head fondly. "You're not a true Dag member until you've been hit in the face by at least three of those."

"Are you speaking from experience?"

"Why, yes. I'll have you know that, over the years, I have become a member at least twenty times over." His blue eyes glittered.

Pyrrha laughed. "I'll keep that in mind when updating my resume."

The two talked for another hour before Pyrrha reluctantly brought up the fact that she still had barely unpacked her bags and Jaune admitted that he was fifteen minutes late for dinner at his house. He asked to exchange phone numbers, and Pyrrha was all too happy to comply.

"I'll have to show you this awesome coffee shop in town," he said as he took his phone back. "I'll be buying next time."

"That sounds grand." Pyrrha double checked to make sure the number was saved in her phone. "Well, good luck with your classes on Monday."

Jaune grimaced. "Good luck to you too. Core classes…ugh! Try to avoid those icebreakers."

The two parted ways and Pyrrha walked back to her dorm, a smile on her face. The first day of college had gone much better than expected. Not only had she found a fun, inclusive organization, but she had made her first friend. She looked at her phone, already wondering when would be an okay time to call him the following day.

When she got to her room and set up her laptop, she realized that Velvet hadn't given her the URL for the Dag forum. She immediately opened up her phone. This was as good of an excuse as any.

They ended up texting back and forth until two o'clock in the morning.

 **Yeah, you guys will likely be seeing more AU fics from me, since the canon-verse has decided to make our babies suffer. A lot of this one is based on personal experience (including the freshman icebreakers, unfortunately). I definitely plan on writing more oneshots in this AU, so stay tuned. Peace out!**


	2. Bonfire

**Sorry I wasn't able to post this on Friday. Life has been crazy lately. I have to finish a draft of my novel by Monday to show to one of my profs, and of course I only recently figured out that I need to add and subtract a crap-ton of stuff. Between that, and having to build a model for a film class, things have been pretty crazy. Still, I fully intend to put something fanfiction-related up every week, regardless of how busy I get.**

 **So, I noticed that a lot of people are following this fic, even though I labeled it as a oneshot. I was originally just going to write a few oneshots for this, but now I think this will work better as a chapter fic. Enjoy!**

"Hey, Arc Angel!" Ruby's voice, followed by a light tap to the head, caused Jaune to jump.

"Huh? What's up?" He blinked in confusion.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Barty just called a slave battle, lover boy. Let's hit the field. I'm sure Pyrrha will be here soon."

Jaune picked up his shield, holding it up to shade his rapidly-reddening face. "What makes you think that's what I'm thinking about?" he challenged. He couldn't help but glance around one more time. The usual group was there, along with a few newbies, including Ren and Nora. Pyrrha, unfortunately, still was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, please," Ruby said with a snort. "You've been mooning over her since opening week. It's pretty obvious."

"It kinda is," Velvet said as she walked by.

Jaune's face flushed further and his shoulders drooped. "Is it?"

"Yep!" Ruby chirped as they approached the field. "Why don't you ask her on an actual date this week?"

It was the fifth week of practice since freshman orientation. During those weeks, it had become a tradition for Jaune and Pyrrha to go out for coffee after practice, either at the campus Starbucks or at the local coffee shop. They would talk for hours about their assignments, Pyrrha's Dag character (a Roman soldier named Ophelia), and the Pathfinder campaign Jaune was thinking of starting.

They also met frequently during the week, finding time in their schedules to have lunch at the student union with Ren and Nora, or even have dinner at Jaune's house. Already, Jaune felt closer to her than he did to most of his high school friends. By week two, he knew that he had fallen hard for the gorgeous redhead.

"I don't know," he muttered. "I don't want to screw things up, you know?"

"What could you possibly screw up?" Ruby asked. "I'm pretty sure she's interested in you."

"She might not be," Jaune protested. "Maybe she just wants a close guy friend. Most of the girls I've seen who join Dag aren't looking for a boyfriend when they join. Heck, I've talked to a few who are hesitant to join because they think that all of us nerdy men will immediately hit on them. They want a casual environment where gender doesn't matter and we can all just hit each other with foam. I want Pyrrha to be comfortable in Dag and with me."

Ruby started to reply, but was interrupted as Barty started reminding everyone of the rules. A slave battle was a free-for-all where killing someone made them your slave. Killing someone who owns slaves sets the slaves free while killing a slave puts them under the new killer's control. If someone's slave kills someone, that person is under the control of the slave's master. The game ends when one person owns everyone else.

"3, 2, 1, play on!" Barty shouted.

Jaune immediately swung around and hit Ruby in the back with his sword, catching her off guard.

Sticking out her tongue, she put her red sword on top of her head and counted to three before declaring: "I fight for Arc Angel!"

The two ran into the fray, staying close to each other. Ruby spotted Ren and immediately ran over. The young Asian man was fighting with a blue in each hand and had gotten significantly better during the past few weeks. He blocked the first few hits before Ruby managed to get his leg. He went down on one knee and continued blocking.

Nora tried to run up behind Ruby, only to be stopped by Jaune. She was holding a blue sword and a shield, since she still wasn't allowed to use a red mallet. She jumped back from Jaune before running up and managing to hit the arm that held his shield.

Jaune dropped the shield and prepared to fend off her attack when a sharp blow to the back caused him to let out a loud puff of air. He looked over his shoulder to see Coco standing behind him, clad in her brown shield-maiden attire and wielding a shield and one-handed axe.

"Freedom!" Ruby shouted, killing Ren with another hit.

Jaune silently counted to three before declaring, "I fight for Freya."

Behind him, Ren called out, "I fight for the Rose Knight."

The battle continued, with Jaune changing hands from Coco to Velvet to Nora to Coco again. Halfway through, he noticed Pyrrha approaching the field, clad in her red leggings and recently-improvised gold tunic, made from an old costume shirt. She picked up a shield and sword from the loaner pile before rushing onto the field. She smiled at Jaune before swinging at him. He just barely managed to jump back in time, only to get hit with Velvet's dagger.

"I fight for Hyzenthlay."

After fifteen or so minutes, the slave battle finally ended with Coco as the victor. She laughed as they went to get water. "You shall all help me conquer these lands!" she declared grandly.

"The people will all flee in terror from our foam weaponry and dorky names," Velvet said dryly, walking over and planting a quick kiss on the other girl's cheek.

Coco's face flushed and she grinned. "Most of the wimps on campus would run if we all tried charging them. It shouldn't be too hard."

"Okay, sweetie." Velvet patted her head.

Jaune laughed at the girls' antics while Pyrrha watched them curiously. "Are they a couple?" she asked.

"Sure are," Jaune said, sitting down against a nearby tree. "They were roomies last year and became really close during that time."

"They look good together," Pyrrha murmured, sitting down next to him and opening her water bottle. "In high school, lesbian couples were never so open. It's nice to see that college is different."

"I can't wait till I'm in college," Ruby groaned, slumping against the tree on Jaune's other side. "People are so _stupid_ in high school. There's so much _drama_."

"My head still hurts from all the times it's been slammed into lockers," Jaune agreed. "I'm glad those days are over."

"You must have a thick skull to have survived that," Pyrrha said, a teasing glint entering her eyes.

Jaune laughed. "I've been told that. Multiple times."

"Mostly by me," Ruby added.

After their break, they had a few free-for-all battles and some basic, two-sided battles where the winning team had to send over the first person on their side to die to be on the losing team for the next round. Nora and Pyrrha got sent back and forth quite a few times.

"I'll get better eventually," Pyrrha said as she went back to Jaune's team once again.

"You're already almost as good as me," Jaune pointed out. "You'll probably be kicking my butt consistently after a few more weeks."

They had one more battle, which was won by Jaune and Pyrrha's side, before Barty called a brief after-practice meeting. "Good practice today, everyone. Quite excellent. The new members are doing very well." He nodded at Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora, who grinned back. "As a professor, I feel that it is my duty to remind you of the Homecoming Bonfire that will be happening on Wednesday night at the old football field in the park. I will bring some of my loaner weapons if anyone wishes to have a mini practice there. I'll post the location in the forum tonight. Until then, good night and make sure to study well."

Pyrrha, Jaune, and Ruby helped Barty load the weapons into his car before Ruby ran over to her sister's bright yellow car, waving over her shoulder. "Bye, guys!"

"Why isn't Ruby's sister in Dag?" Pyrrha asked as she and Jaune walked down the sidewalk leading to downtown and the local coffee shop. "I've seen her around campus, and she seems like the type to enjoy it."

"She's in SCA," Jaune explained. "They're kinda like Dag, but they use rattan wood and fiberglass weapons and way more armor."

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. "That sounds intense."

"Yeah. It's a little too much for me," Jaune admitted. "I'm good with plain old foam."

They reached the coffee shop, where they both ordered lattes and pastries. Jaune got a slice of cheesecake while Pyrrha contented herself with a slice of black forest cake.

"So, will you be going to the bonfire?" Pyrrha asked, taking a bite of her cake.

"Definitely!" Jaune nodded as an idea occurred to him. "I was going to walk Ruby down there. Maybe we could meet up at campus and all go over together?" _That's platonic enough, right? She won't mistake that for a date, right?_

Pyrrha smiled, trying to ignore the warm flush that rose in her cheeks. _He wants to go as a group of friends. That's all,_ she firmly told herself. "That would be nice. I'll try to get Weiss to pry herself away from her textbooks long enough to join us."

"Haven't you been trying to get her to come onto the field for a few weeks now?"

"Yes. She still needs convincing that Dagorhir isn't filled with 'nerdy basement-dwellers'." Pyrrha rolled her eyes. "She's a nice girl and a good roommate, but she really needs to loosen up a little."

"Still, you really lucked out," Jaune noted. "I've heard horror stories about roommates who play music all night or frequently kick their roomies out on account of having a boyfriend or girlfriend over."

"True. I'm certainly glad that she's quiet."

"Wanna trade for my sisters?" Jaune asked, snickering a little. "I might actually get to go to bed before midnight."

"No deal." Pyrrha smirked. "I like your sisters, though. They're sweet."

"They certainly love you." Jaune grinned as he thought of how excited his sisters, particularly the younger ones, got whenever he invited Pyrrha to dinner. "They think you're the coolest person in the world."

Pyrrha blushed, glancing to the side with a modest smile. "Well, most younger siblings think that of their older siblings' friends," she murmured. "I'm flattered, though."

"Well, in this particular case, they're definitely not wrong," Jaune said before he could stop himself. His face flushed. _Aaand that was lame, blatant flirting at its finest…_

Pyrrha's cheeks deepened in color. She hoped that the dim light would make it less obvious. "Thank you."

"N-No problem." Jaune quickly busied himself with his cake, hoping his face would be a normal shade when he looked up again. "So, I've been working more on the enemies for my Pathfinder campaign."

"You mean the undead hoard, or the void dragon? Oh, I've been meaning to ask: Would races from the Advanced Race Handbook be allowed in your campaign?"

"Oh, yeah!" Jaune replied. "That won't be a problem. As for the enemies, I was actually thinking of a smaller group of drow bandits that I may place in one of the forests. I won't tell you which one, of course."

They talked for another hour before parting ways. Pyrrha had to insist regularly that she was fully capable of walking back to campus on her own. Just the same, Jaune always told her to text him once she was safely back at the dorm. She rolled her eyes, but was secretly touched by his concern.

She sent the obligatory text as she entered her room. "Hello, Weiss. Are you free Wednesday night?"

"For what, exactly?" Weiss asked, looking up from her laptop.

"The Bonfire is that night. I'm meeting up with Jaune and Ruby. Care to join us?"

The heiress's nose wrinkled a little with distaste. "I never enjoy school spirit events. Besides, I have a test that afternoon."

"The bonfire isn't until after," Pyrrha reminded her. "After a test, you should relax a bit. And we don't have to wear spirit attire." When her roommate was silent, she gently tapped her shoulder. "We're in college, Weiss. What's the harm of a little fun?"

Weiss let out a sigh. "Oh, I suppose." She softened her reluctant acceptance with a smile. "Is this your sneaky way of getting me to finally fight with your Dagorhir people."

"Perhaps," Pyrrha chuckled as she opened her laptop to start her own assignments. Her phone buzzed and she paused to pick it up.

" _Glad you got back safe. Up for lunch at the union on Monday? Usual time?"_

Pyrrha smiled softly as she sent an answering text. _"Of course. See you then."_

….

On Wednesday, Weiss and Pyrrha went to the union for a quick dinner before going to their decided meeting place near the Dag field. Pyrrha wore jeans and a red jacket while Weiss wore gray leggings and a pale blue sweatshirt. By mutual agreement, they didn't wear a patch of gold or maroon, which were the school's colors. It only took five minutes for Jaune and Ruby to show up. Ruby wore a maroon sweater under her red cloak, which she apparently took everywhere, and not just to Dag practices. Jaune wore a Beacon University hoodie that had obviously come from the campus bookstore.

Pyrrha introduced Weiss to Jaune and Ruby, noticing that the latter's face turned a definite shade of pink when the heiress shook her hand. As they walked the fifteen minutes to the old football field, they talked about school and whether or not they'd be going to the football game (the general consensus being no). Jaune and Ruby made sure to include Weiss in the conversation and the heiress seemed incredibly at ease by the time they reached their destination.

The band was playing and the fire had already been lit. A few enthusiastic fans had painted themselves with the school colors and the football team was mingling with everyone else. It wasn't unlike a high school event, except for the fact that no one bothered to hide their alcohol.

Weiss cast a derisive glare in the direction of the rambunctious football players and fans. "We're not going over there, are we?"

"Don't worry," Jaune assured her. "The Dag group usually stays over there by that fence. No crazy fanboys there."

"At least not _football_ fanboys," Pyrrha added.

Jaune laughed. "True. If you can't handle nerdy fantasy talk, now's the time to bail."

Weiss glanced at Pyrrha before shrugging. "I think I'll manage."

Only a few people from Dag were there, which was fine since Barty hadn't brought as many weapons as usual. Ren and Nora were there along with Velvet, Coco, and another new player named Sun, who was apparently Ren's roommate.

"Everyone got their roomies onto the field but me," Nora noted with a pout. "Mine's super shy, even more than Ren."

"Technically, I haven't been on the field yet," Weiss pointed out.

"I heard a yet in there!" Jaune teased, poking her arm. "Looks like we're wearing her down, Pyrrha!"

Weiss gave him a withering look, and stayed on the sidelines while the players sparred, occasionally talking with Pyrrha when the latter decided to take a break. However, when Ruby shyly offered to teach her the basics, she didn't say no. After a few fights, Weiss had successfully beaten Jaune, Ren, and even Velvet by sheer luck. Sun, meanwhile, was a natural and even Coco had some trouble landing hits on him. Barty, of course, won most of the duels he participated in.

Another hour went by before Ren yawned widely and decided to go home. Sun and Nora accompanied him back to campus, Sun promising that they'd be seeing him again during their next practice. Velvet and Coco leaned against the fence and started talking quietly. Barty collected the small pile of weapons, waving away Pyrrha's offers to help him, and also left.

Pyrrha didn't feel quite ready to leave, and was thankful to see that Jaune, Ruby, and Weiss felt the same way. They ended up sitting in the grass, watching the bonfire from a distance as it started to dwindle. The football players, of course, were as energetic as ever. At one point, they let out a resounding cheer that echoed throughout the surrounding park.

"Yeah, go sportsball!" Jaune shouted in response, grinning at the appreciative laughter of his friends. He was silent for a moment before a chilly breeze caused him to shiver.

Pyrrha looked at him with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Me? Yeah." Jaune waved a hand dismissively. "I'm just wishing I had picked out a warmer hoodie right now. That's what I get for being spirited." The hoodie had been fine while they were moving around and fighting. But now, it was starting to feel paper-thin.

"No prob, Jaune. We got your back." Ruby scooted over and hugged Jaune's left side. "Take his right, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha chuckled at Ruby before scooting over and hugging Jaune's other side. When would she get another excuse to do something like this, after all? She noticed Weiss rolling her eyes, but chose to ignore it.

Jaune's face turned bright red when Pyrrha hugged him, but he quickly played it off with a smirk. "So, is that all it takes to get a girl on each arm?" This earned him a punch in the shoulder from both of his friends. He winced. " _Ow!_ Jeez, guys. I was kidding!"

The four continued talking for another half hour before the nearly-dead fire (and a call from Ruby's father) told them it was time to go home. By this point, Ruby had moved away from Jaune, but Pyrrha had ended up snuggled contentedly against his other side. At one point, he had cautiously lifted his arm to wrap around her shoulders, feeling giddy when she responded by shifting closer. He definitely didn't feel cold at that point!

They parted ways downtown, Pyrrha promising to text Jaune once she and Weiss were safely back at the dorms. Her face was flushed and there was a smile on her face that she simply couldn't will away. "So, Weiss? Do you think you'll come onto the field this weekend?"

Weiss shrugged as they walked. "I suppose, if only to act as a chaperone for you and that boyfriend of yours." Her lips quirked upwards and she raised an eyebrow. When Pyrrha only answered with a brighter blush, she smiled.

Ruby, meanwhile, was elbowing Jaune throughout their walk home. "See? I told you! She's totally interested. You need to ask her out like _yesterday_!"

Jaune looked at the ground. "Maybe."

"Maybe? Please, Jaune. No one cuddles against someone for a half hour unless they like them a lot."

"You could be right." Jaune started to smile before a thought occurred to him, stopping him dead in his tracks. "Wait. You planned that, didn't you?"

Ruby didn't bother trying to hide her wide answering smirk. "Maaaaaybe!"

 **I can see two or three more chapters coming out of this AU. Just to clarify on the roommates in this world: Pyrrha's rooming with Weiss (obviously), Ren's rooming with Sun, and Nora's rooming with Blake. Yang and Jaune commute from town and Ruby, of course, is still in high school. And yes, I decided to pair up Coco and Velvet in this AU because why not? They're adorable.**

 **Stay tuned for more play fighting, more Arkos, and more of Ruby being the best wingman ever. Peace out.**


	3. Shield Bashes and Stat Rolls

**Nix what I said before. There will be more than just two or three more chapters in this thing. This AU is too much fun!**

"And then, I put targets on their foreheads and the squirrels started dive-bombing them," Nora was saying. "I swear, it was the coolest thing ever."

"Mm hm." Blake flipped a page in her book.

"Of course, after that, I took over the Administrator Building and became Queen of Vale."

"Mm hm."

Nora plopped down on her bed. "And it's been the same dream all week. Weird, huh?"

"Mm hm."

Nora frowned. Accustomed as she was to dealing with quiet people, she couldn't help but notice several differences between her new roommate and Ren. Ren always listened to her when she rambled and remembered every word. Blake was obviously not paying attention. Nora wasn't particularly offended by this, but it was moments like these when she really missed sleeping in a room with her best friend. Blake was just nodding to everything she was saying

A slight smirk came to her face. Maybe she could use this to her advantage.

"So, classes have been fun, huh?"

"Mm hm." Blake's eyes scanned the beginning of another chapter.

"The bonfire was pretty cool. You'll have to go to the next one."

"Mm hm."

"So, are you coming with me to Dag this afternoon?"

"Mm hm."

"Great!" Nora jumped from her bed, clapping eagerly. "Get some comfy clothes on, and we'll leave in an hour!"

Blake looked up, blinking in confusion. "Wait, what?"

…..

"Oof!" Jaune's vision briefly went black as a well-aimed, thankfully-well-padded javelin hit him square in the face, smashing his nose. He shook his head, groaning as the sharp sting caused a few tears to spring to his eyes. "Ugh. It's always the nose."

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha called out in alarm, rushing over. "I didn't break your nose, did I?" She tried to see if there was any blood.

"Nope," Jaune quickly reassured her, forcing a grin despite the continuous throbbing of his nose. "You got it pretty good, though. Nice shot. You got me two for two now."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Pyrrha asked, her eyes shining with concern. 

"I'm fine," Jaune insisted. "I told you: You aren't in Dag until a projectile hits your face. Believe me, this is nothing compared to the time Ruby hit me in the crotch with her red."

"Which time?" Ruby called over, snickering at the memory while Jaune stuck his tongue out at her.

Pyrrha winced at the thought. "Does that happen often?"

Jaune shrugged. "Yeah. That's why we sign waivers. It's just part of the game."

"You know," Pyrrha mused. "I never realized before joining Dag how much foam can hurt. Everyone I talk to is convinced that this is just a soft, harmless sport where it's impossible to get bruised."

"Impossible to get bruised," Jaune snorted. "Heck, when Yang was still with us, I'd go home with bruises all over."

"Kinky," Sun commented as he finished his spar with Ren and joined them, his eyes glinting. "I'm liking this organization more and more."

Weiss, who was just walking over, winced. "Do you have to be so vulgar?"

Sun snickered. "Heh. 'Vulgar.' I'm really glad Pyrrha finally got you out here." He nudged Weiss's shoulder. "Loosen up, Ice Queen! We're in college. No parents to give us judgmental looks when we tell dirty jokes."

Weiss sniffed, giving Sun a disdainful glare. "Some of us don't need parental supervision in order to act mature. And don't call me Ice Queen."

Pyrrha rolled her eyes at the two before noticing that Nora was approaching, followed closely by a dark-haired girl. "Hey, Nora!" she called. "Finally got your roommate out, huh?"

Nora grinned, running over. "Yep! This is Blake."

Blake nodded politely, seeming a little ill at ease surrounded by so many people.

Jaune, noticing Blake's nervousness, approached and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Blake. I'm Jaune. My Dag name is Arc Angel. If you wanna fight, talk to Barty about a waiver. Otherwise, you're perfectly welcome to sit by one of the trees and watch."

Blake smiled a little as she shook Jaune's hand, relieved that she wouldn't be expected to participate right away. "I think I'll just watch for awhile. I'll let you know if I decide to join in."

Nora shrugged a shoulder as Blake sat down by a tree and took her book out of her bag. _Oh well. It's a start._ She noticed Ren finishing a sparring match with Coco. "Hey, Ren!" She ran over just as Ren was hit in the abdomen. "I had the dream again."

"Tell me about it in a second," Ren groaned, putting a hand over his midsection. "I think…I was nearly cut in half."

"Oh, no you weren't," Coco said, rolling her eyes. "Man up, Lotus Boy."

"That…" he panted. "Is never going to be…" Pant. "My Dag name."

"I dunno," Nora teased. "It's kinda cute."

"It's an unwritten rule in our particular branch," Coco explained. "If you don't come up with your own Dag name within a few weeks, we give you one."

"In that case, Sun shouldn't be allowed to call me Ice Queen yet," Weiss declared, still glaring at the smirking blond.

"I never said it was your Dag name," Sun pointed out. "So, unwritten rules don't apply!"

Jaune glanced at Pyrrha with a grin as the two continued to bicker. "This may be the best Dag group we've ever had."

Pyrrha chuckled a little in reply. "It certainly isn't boring."

"Okay, everyone," Barty called. 'Fighters to the field!"

Everyone gathered their weapons and went out onto the field, waiting to hear what game they'd be playing next.

"Since we have such a good turnout today, we'll be doing a King Battle." Barty smiled as some of the veteran players muttered excitedly to each other. "Now, we'll need two people to be our kings."

Coco immediately raised her hand, brandishing her large shield. "Come at me, peasants!"

"Excellent, excellent. Anyone else?" Barty looked around. "Someone with a large shield."

Jaune raised his hand. "I can be the other king."

A King Battle was explained to the newer players as a battle between two teams. Each team has a king, who holds a large shield. The king's shield is the respawn point for their team. If the king is killed, the respawn point is gone and other people can pick up the shield. If a team gets the other team's shield and bashes it against their team's shield, that team is victorious.

Barty divided them into teams. Pyrrha ended up on Coco's team along with Ren, Sun, Velvet, and Weiss. When the battle started, she brandished her sword while holding her javelin under her arm. She and Velvet hung back to guard Coco.

Ruby immediately bolted along the edge of the field, trying to get behind Coco before anyone could notice. Weiss intercepted her halfway and the two started sparring.

Nora threw herself at Sun while Pyrrha started fighting another member named Reese, who killed her with a hard blow to the back. While she ran back to Coco to respawn, Ren joined Weiss in double-teaming Ruby.

After a few minutes, Weiss suggested that they try rushing the other team. Pyrrha was enthusiastic about the idea, as were Sun and Velvet. Ren was out of breath and offered to hang back to guard their king.

"Okay, let's go!" Sun urged excitedly, raising his sword. "YAAARRRGGHH!"

Weiss managed to shoot him an "Are you serious?" look just before they started running.

Sun and Pyrrha were killed quickly and went back to respawn. Behind them, Nora cried out "Protect the king!"

The sound of running feet signaled that the other team was charging. After tapping Coco's shield, Pyrrha jumped into the fray. For awhile, it was a mess of limbs and foam and everyone hitting whatever came close. Then, Velvet broke away from the group and ran behind Jaune, hitting him in the back and picking up his shield as he dropped it.

"The king has fallen!" Jaune shouted. "Get the shield!"

Velvet ran toward Coco before getting abruptly killed by Ruby. Before the small fighter could pick up the shield, Pyrrha hit her in the abdomen and picked it up, dropping her own to the ground. Coco rushed over and they banged the shields together.

"WHOO!" Coco shouted. "Victory! Take that, peasants! Kneel before me!"

"That's later, sweetie," Velvet muttered into her ear as she walked by, winking discreetly.

Coco's face turned bright red before she burst out laughing. "Dammit, Velvs!"

Barty called for a water break and the group walked over to the trees, feeling very satisfied with the battle.

Nora plopped down next to Blake. "See? It's fun! You should totally join the next one."

Blake shook her head. "I'm not really up for it right now, but I think I might give it a try next week."

"Yessss!" Nora pumped her fist victoriously.

Jaune took a sip of water. "You know, it's about time you guys figured out characters so we can go costume shopping. We're lenient about it here, but if you go to any professional events, you'll need garb."

Ren shook his head. "I looked online for some stuff, but it's too expensive."

"Yeah, I want to be a shield-maiden with leather armor." Nora shrugged helplessly. "Unless I rob some gas stations, that's not happening."

"Well, I can't exactly afford Spartan armor," Pyrrha pointed out. "You don't need to be extravagant on your first outfit. I just did some stitching on an old costume from back home that Mom sent in my last care package." She tugged at her gold tunic.

"What if we go for a Goodwill run sometime this week?" Jaune suggested. "A lot of my best costume stuff has come from there."

"Can I come too?" Sun asked. "I got a pretty good idea on the kind of stuff I want."

"Sure." Jaune looked at Pyrrha. "Are you game? They might have the kind of pants you've been wanting."

Pyrrha nodded. "Sure. These bright red leggings don't exactly work for the look I'm going for."

Jaune honestly had no problem with the leggings, but decided to refrain from saying so. "What about you, Ice Queen?" he said in a teasing voice.

Weiss huffed. "It'll depend on the day. Also, that name will never stick."

"I think it already has," Sun snickered.

After practice, Jaune and Pyrrha went to get coffee as they usually did. This time, however, Ren, Nora, and Ruby went with them. They were all carrying dice in their bags.

Once they sat down at one of the tables in the campus Starbucks, Jaune took out four character sheets. "Okay, the most annoying thing will be rolling stats. After that, it'll be easy." He took his Core Rulebook from his bag and handed it to Pyrrha. "Which of you already know what you want to be?"

Nora raised her hand. "Half-Orc Berserker! I'm calling dibs right now!"

"I was thinking of being a Rogue of some kind," Ren muttered. "I'm not sure what race I want to be."

"At the very least, let's get our base stats rolled," Pyrrha said. "We can do the rest after. I roll four six-sided dice, right?"

Jaune nodded. "Yep. Add the highest three. If you don't like the stats you get, you can stop and reroll, but you'll have to start from the beginning."

An hour later, Ruby was grumbling angrily. "Come on…"

"Just settle on a set, Ruby," Jaune urged.

"Tell the dice to listen to me!" Ruby had rolled five good stats and was preparing herself for the final roll. "Aaand…four ones?! Come on!" She picked up the dice and crossed out yet another stat group.

Jaune rolled his eyes before turning to Pyrrha. "Got an idea on a character?"

Pyrrha was scanning the book. "We should have a healer of some kind. I'm just not sure if I want to be a Paladin or a Cleric. Paladins are stronger, but I'm not sure if I want to be Lawful Good, especially with a Rogue in the party."

"Yeah, Paladins are a drag unless you're really in the mood to play a super-heroic, self-righteous, often-preachy character."

"Aren't Clerics also preachy?"

"It depends," Jaune said. "They're devoted to their deity, but you can have any alignment, depending on what deity you choose, and you can decide how preachy you want them to be."

"Squishy healer it is," Pyrrha sighed, taking her character sheet and starting to put down her stats.

"Clerics can fight," Jaune told her. "It's not like Sorcerers, where you can't wear armor."

"Can I be a Kobold?" Ren asked. "They look interesting."

"Sure, but they're pretty cowardly and scummy," Jaune said.

"Fitting for a thief."

"True."

"Kobold will be crushed under Half-Orc's boot," Nora declared in an exaggerated, raspy voice.

"Nora, we're not playing yet," Ren said calmly. "You don't need to talk like an Orc."

"Half-Orc! Get your races straight, Ren."

"Four ones again?! How can that even happen?!" Ruby cried, staring down at her dice. "I think these might be loaded!"

The five parted ways outside of Starbucks, Jaune and Ruby going back to town while Ren and Nora returned to their dorms. Pyrrha walked part of the way to town.

"So, are you happy with your stats?" Pyrrha asked Ruby.

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, finally. Now, I just gotta decide what I'll be. I'm thinking Elven Druid. Then I can have a pet wolf!"

"There are a couple animal companions to choose from," Jaune said. "You could get a raptor or tiger."

"Wait, a raptor? Like a dinosaur raptor?" Ruby groaned. "Great. Now, I can't decide."

Pyrrha chuckled. "Well, you have time. We still need to create our characters' backstories and everything else before we start the campaign."

"Yeah, once I know what your characters are doing, I can make a better opening scenario," Jaune explained. "My campaigns are more plot-driven than they are battle-driven."

"I definitely prefer that," Pyrrha said. "We do enough battling on Saturdays, after all." When they reached the edge of town, she waved goodbye. "See you during the week. Let me know when we're going to Goodwill."

"Sure thing. Later, Pyr!" Jaune waved before walking Ruby toward her house. He noticed his friend giving him a look. "What?"

"If you don't ask her out, I will," she said bluntly.

"Says the person who's totally not mooning over the Ice Queen," Jaune shot back.

"Hey, I only met her a few days ago! Also, I'm still just a High School student. What's your excuse?" Ruby asked. "Aren't you the one always saying that women look for confidence?"

"Yeah, and I'm not feeling very confidant." Jaune folded his arms. "So, why would she go for me?"

"You're hopeless," Ruby sighed. "Well, maybe having a Pathfinder session each week along with Dag will do something."

"It might," Jaune allowed. They stopped in front of Ruby's house. "Well, see you later."

"Bye, Jaune." Ruby hugged him before going inside.

Jaune walked back to his house, mulling over Ruby's words. Why hadn't he asked Pyrrha out yet? He tried to dredge up the "Dag guys shouldn't flirt with newbies" excuse, but that ended up falling flat. _Maybe it's because she's the only girl I get along with as well as I do with Ruby,_ he thought. _And Ruby and I are totally platonic. I don't want to screw up a friendship this good._ This rang a little truer, but still not enough.

His head started aching, so he decided to focus on coming up with scenarios for his Pathfinder campaign. Dice and books were at least things he could understand.

 **I love writing slice-of-life scenarios, and this AU has so many scenarios to type. The next chapter I think will focus on a Pathfinder session, because those are always hilarious! If you want, leave suggestions for character names in your reviews. I haven't come up with any yet.**

 **Have a good weekend. If you celebrate Easter, Happy Easter to you and your family. See you next week. Peace out!**


	4. Pathfinder

**Greetings, beloved readers! We are back with another Dag AU chapter, though there won't be any Dag fights in this one. Instead, we'll get a taste of a Pathfinder campaign and some post-session fluff. Soulfulbard came up with the name for Pyrrha's Cleric. The others are names I came up with on my own. Much of what happens in their session is based on dialogue and situations from Pathfinder campaigns I've been in. I'm not sure what that says about me and the people I hang out with… Enjoy!**

"Ren, are you _trying_ to get us arrested?" Ruby asked, gaping as Ren picked up his twenty-sided die (d20, for short). "Why do you even want his shoes?!"

"They have gold buckles on them. Kurrel likes gold," Ren said simply as he rolled. He checked his Sleight of Hand bonus. "Twenty seven."

Jaune rolled his d20 and shook his head. "The shopkeeper spots you. 'Oy, what da 'ell are ya doin,' ya scrawny lizard?!' He kicks you in the face. 'Guards! Someone get tha dirty Kobold!'"

"Hmph! That's racist," Nora muttered in her raspy Half-Orc voice. "Grenda doesn't like racists!"

Ruby looked at Pyrrha. "I vote we act like we don't know them."

Pyrrha nodded. "Agreed. Delphine quietly takes a few steps back, keeping Grenda and Kurrel within sight."

"Toriel and Drei leave the marketplace," Ruby said bluntly, referring to her Druid and wolf respectively. "And we don't look back."

"You know, if you'd been willing to turn into a bird and snatch some rings…" Ren muttered.

"I'm Neutral Good, Ren! I can't steal."

"Should've gone Chaotic Neutral. It's the best alignment," Nora commented. "You just do whatever you want."

"But we're supposed to be heroes," Ruby protested. "Isn't that how this works?"

"Not necessarily," Jaune explained. "I've been in some evil campaigns in the past. In Pathfinder, you just do whatever's in character and try not to die."

"This is why we keep telling you to join the Dark Brotherhood in your Oblivion game," Pyrrha added. "They have the best missions."

"Oh, fiction! Why must you make evil deeds look so fun to such a pure, innocent soul?" Ruby lamented.

"You never have a problem snatching extra cookies whenever you come over," Jaune said, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"That's not an act of evil. It's an act of necessity!"

Pyrrha chuckled softly at her friends' antics. This was her first time playing Pathfinder, and she was surprised at how fun it was. True, she had been expecting a good time, but the sheer number of times she and the others had nearly died laughing shocked her.

The best moment so far had been when they were at a temple where the god was present and watching. Ruby had said "I get down on my hands and knees. Does he like that?" and didn't understand why everyone else started falling out of their chairs laughing until Pyrrha was able to explain. Her young face had turned even redder than her cloak.

Nora, meanwhile, was thrilled with just how open Ren was being. When playing a mischievous thief, her best friend took on a talkative, joking persona that even she rarely saw. Also, she had never seen or heard Ren laugh so hard. It was something she could definitely get used to.

Jaune was just happy that everyone was having fun. Though he was a Pathfinder veteran, this was only his second time being the Game Master for a campaign. In his opinion, campaigns weren't meant to be taken too seriously and could be considered a success if the players fell into laughing fits at least three times per session. Pyrrha's unrestrained laugh, so different from her usual quiet chuckle, was more than enough to justify these numbers.

"You hear guards pushing through the crowd," Jaune continued. "They are close to where you are."

"I run for the nearest shadowy area," Ren said.

"Make an Agility check. There's a pretty big crowd."

Ren rolled his d20. "Seventeen."

Jaune rolled and nodded. "You get to the alleyway unharmed."

"Okay, I'm going to sneak away." Ren picked up his d20 once again.

"Are any of the guards near me?" Pyrrha asked.

"Uh…" Jaune glanced at one of his charts. "Where are you standing?"

"Near the fruit stand."

"Okay, then yes. Two are."

"I walk over and say 'Pardon me, good sirs. Would you like to receive a blessing from Erastil?'"

"Roll a Charisma check."

Ren managed to get his character to safety thanks to Pyrrha's intervention, but the party was forced to leave town. Ruby's character made sure to let Kurrel know how she felt about that.

"Well, we're gonna have to find another lead to finding that sorcerer. I hope the close look at those shiny buckles was worth it."

"I'll be back for them!" Ren vowed.

"I could've taken those guards," Nora muttered. "Grenda's club is thirsty for blood!"

"Save it for the necromancer," Pyrrha said soothingly. "And the undead horde."

"We won't be fighting the necromancer yet," Ren protested. "We'd die immediately. I almost died when that tavern wench stepped on me in the last town."

"That's what you get for having a small-sized character, Lotus Lizard," Ruby teased.

"None of these Lotus names will ever catch on!"

The game continued through a long, drawn-out battle with a group of drow. At one point, Nora rolled a Natural 1 on her d20 and ended up bashing Ruby's wolf in the head. Pyrrha's Cleric had to intervene quickly in order to keep the animal from dying. It was an incredibly close battle, but they won. It was past midnight when Jaune decided to end the session.

They packed up their character sheets and dice before parting ways. Ren and Nora went to their building while Ruby and Jaune followed Pyrrha back to her room, where they would be spending the night.

"Oooh," Ruby said as she peeked in. "College dorms are so small! How do you fit everything in it?"

"Organization and management," Weiss said from her desk, not glancing away from her laptop.

"Are you doing homework on a Friday?" Ruby asked, tilting her head. "You really should have more fun."

"I'll be at Dag in the afternoon," Weiss shot back. "That will serve as my break."

"Do you sleep?" Ruby asked, leaning over the older girl's shoulder to look at her screen. "It seems like you're always just lugging that laptop around."

"O-Of course I sleep, you dolt!"

Pyrrha rolled her eyes, exchanging a knowing smile with Jaune. By this point, she knew her roommate well enough to recognize when she was truly angry and when she was simply irritable and flustered. The white-haired girl seemed to get flustered a great deal whenever Ruby was around. It was pretty cute, but Pyrrha refrained from teasing her, knowing that a retaliation relating to her and Jaune would immediately follow such an action.

"So, where should we…?" Jaune asked, trailing off as he looked around.

"Ruby can sleep in my bed. You can have the futon. I'll take the floor," Pyrrha replied promptly.

Jaune frowned. "This floor looks kinda uncomfortable."

"I'll be fine," Pyrrha assured him, her heart warming at his concern. After that Pathfinder session, she felt even closer to Jaune than ever before. His face had come alive while narrating the story in a way that practically required Pyrrha to smile. He adored games, particularly roleplaying or strategy games. He always got a look of excitement and concentration on his face whenever playing, and Pyrrha was completely enamored with him when he was like that.

Pyrrha prepared the futon while her guests used the communal shower down the hall and changed into their pajamas. Ruby climbed up into Pyrrha's lofted bed. "That was a good session, Jaune. Thanks!" She yawned. "Night, everyone." Judging by her breathing, she fell asleep almost immediately.

Jaune lay back on the futon, trying not to grimace at how thin the blankets were. He was wearing sweat pants and a tee shirt, which were not nearly enough. He got cold very easily and usually wore special fleece footie pajamas that his aunt gave him every year for his birthday. However, his sisters had adamantly told him that wearing bunny footie pajamas when sleeping over in his crush's dorm room was absolutely out of the question.

As a cold draft hit his toes, he regretted listening to them.

Pyrrha, meanwhile, was bracing herself for a long night. Though she had vacuumed the floor, Jaune had been right in his assumption that it was not the least bit comfortable. She had only one blanket, which she couldn't put under her to make the floor softer, since the building's heaters wouldn't really start working until winter and she would need as much covering as possible to keep warm in the meantime.

An hour passed. She heard Weiss go to bed and sighed, finally giving up. If she couldn't sleep, perhaps she could get some homework done or check the Dagorhir forum.

"Pyr?" Jaune called quietly when he noticed his friend getting up. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Pyrrha replied. As the light from her screen caused the room to become a little more illuminated, she noticed that Jaune was trembling. "Are you?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Jaune replied. "I just get cold really easily."

"You can use my blanket," Pyrrha said. "You were right about the floor."

Jaune frowned. "Are you gonna stay up all night? You won't be able to do much on the field tomorrow."

"I'm used to getting by on little sleep."

"That's not encouraging." Jaune picked up the blanket and put it on top of the one he already had. It didn't help.

Pyrrha looked at the Dag forum. Barty had posted an update a few hours ago stating that there would be a weapon-building session at his house soon with a discount for members. _I can finally have my own javelin and shield!_ she thought.

After a few minutes of checking for more updates, she glanced over at Jaune. Her brows furrowed when she saw that he was still shivering. "Don't you have warmer pajamas?"

"Uh, yeah," Jaune muttered. "I, uh, forgot them."

"Hm." Pyrrha hesitated, gathering her courage to voice an idea that would potentially allow both of them to get a good night's sleep. "Well, the futon is large enough. Maybe, I could…" she trailed off.

It took a few seconds for Jaune to realize what she was asking. It took a few more seconds to remember how to speak. "I mean… You wouldn't find that awkward, or anything?"

Was that a hopeful tone that Pyrrha was catching in his voice? He didn't sound put off, which encouraged her. "I mean, we're friends, so I don't mind. Ren and Nora apparently sleep together all the time." She didn't mention her suspicion that those two were one confession away from being practically engaged.

"W-Well, if you don't have a problem with it…" Jaune stammered, scooting over to give her some room. His heart was thumping louder than a red sword smacking a shield. He hoped that Pyrrha wouldn't be able to hear it. His breath caught as the bed sank down and she moved close to him.

Pyrrha hesitated when she was a few inches away from Jaune. "Is it okay if I…" She extended an arm questioningly. "I mean, if you're cold-"

"Yeah, sure!" Jaune said, his mouth going dry as he felt a slender, muscular arm drape carefully across his midsection, followed closely by Pyrrha's cheek on his chest right below his shoulder. He took a deep breath, trying to loosen his incredibly-tense muscles.

"This isn't uncomfortable for you, is it?" Pyrrha asked, noting how stiff he was. _What was I thinking? This was a terrible idea!_ She started to withdraw her arm, only to feel his large, warm hand on her wrist. Her cheeks heated up and she looked up at him. He was still tense, but there was a smile on his face, if a slightly shaky one.

"I'm fine, Pyr. I'm just not used to this. Don't worry, though." He kept his hand on her wrist, feeling her rapid pulse. It was going nearly as fast as his heart was. "Are you good with this?"

"Yes." Pyrrha's response was immediate. Despite her nervousness, she honestly felt more content than she could remember feeling in a long time. It was a sleepy, warm contentment that she thought could easily last the whole night. She could feel her friend's chest rising and falling under her head and his soft, slightly-calloused hand tenderly holding her wrist.

A sudden surge of happiness went through her and she snuggled closer, nestling against Jaune's side while softly nuzzling into his chest and turning her loose grip on his midsection into a gentle, one-armed hug. She could feel lingering cold shivers going through him, though they were lessening due to their close contact.

Jaune barely kept from gasping aloud when the distance between him and Pyrrha suddenly closed. He cautiously returned the hug, draping his arm overtop hers while pulling the blankets over them both. He heard her let out a happy sigh. As if a switch was flipped, the tension in his muscles vanished and he was able to rest comfortably on the futon, his head sinking into the pillow.

The coldness he had felt before already was a distant memory. In fact, he couldn't remember feeling warmer. A fantasy went through his head of what would happen in winter. They could sit in front of the fireplace and doze on the couch, nestled under several blankets while the snow fell outside.

 _Wow, I'm cheesy,_ he realized with a rueful smile. Still, something told him that Pyrrha wouldn't have any objections to something like that. As he lay there, all of the doubt from the past few weeks began to rapidly dissipate. If she hadn't been so close to falling asleep, he probably would have bent down to kiss her at that moment

As he allowed Pyrrha's warmth and gentle contact to lull him closer and closer to sleep, he made a decision. _Tomorrow,_ he thought. _I'll tell her tomorrow._

"Goodnight, Jaune," Pyrrha murmured, her voice heavy with drowsiness. It usually took a half hour or more for her to fall asleep, but being near Jaune was making her feel so incredibly peaceful. She almost didn't want morning to come and spoil this moment.

"Night, Pyrrha," Jaune replied, biting his lip at how sweet Pyrrha's sleepy voice sounded so close to his ear. Though he felt like he was tingling all over, he had no trouble falling asleep soon after.

Meanwhile, up in Pyrrha's bed, Ruby was covering her mouth to stifle her delighted giggles.

 **One of my biggest pet peeves in romance is dragging stuff out unnecessarily when there's basically nothing stopping the couple in question from getting together. It's right up there with getting the couple together right before killing one of them *glares menacingly at Rooster Teeth*. So, I will not be doing that. Expect total fluff in the next chapter, and probably in more chapters after that because I really don't want to end this after they get together. We'll need some established relationship cuteness as well, don't you agree? And maybe I'll work in more of the other ships here… Well, we'll see what happens.**

 **Please review, but don't flame. Don't be a Cinder. Peace out!**


	5. Confessions

**Hello, everyone! We are back with my current favorite AU a little early, due to me suddenly starting to write like a demon this week. I'm glad that this has gotten so much of a following. I suppose it's partially because of a desperate need for happy Arkos in the fandom. Well, let me say something that will make you happier: I have decided that all of my AU fics are reincarnations of the canon characters. That's right. Whenever you start to feel bad about what happens in canon, whatever ends up happening in canon, you can look at one of my AU fics and smile because our babies were able to get happiness in another life, even if they didn't get it in Remnant. You're welcome.**

Pyrrha woke up slowly that morning, due to not setting an alarm for once. As she drifted toward wakefulness, she was aware of a very comforting warmth surrounding her. She then was aware of a sense of absolute contentment. Despite going to bed very late, she felt more relaxed than she had felt in a long time. She snuggled closer to the warmth, opening her eyes slightly as she allowed her mind to continue its journey toward consciousness.

Then, the warmth shifted and Pyrrha was suddenly wide awake. Jolt after jolt went through her veins as she realized where she was and who she was next to. _I can't believe I did that,_ she thought, her eyes wide. _Why on earth did I suggest sleeping with him? Everyone knows the implications of that, especially in a college dorm!_

Jaune was still fast asleep, unaware of his friend's mental turmoil. He mumbled something and nuzzled the top of Pyrrha's head. His arms were wrapped firmly around her, making it nearly impossible to slip out and pretend it hadn't happened.

Her heart was pounding, but the sleepy touch of Jaune's cheek to the top of her head reminded Pyrrha of another vital fact: Jaune had agreed to sleep with her. He had agreed quite readily, in fact. Remembering this calmed her down somewhat, allowing her to access the situation.

 _Okay, so he was open to sleeping next to me. That doesn't necessarily mean anything. He has seven sisters, after all, and has probably slept with Ruby before._ Before she could continue with that train of thought, however, she remembered something he had said that night when she had expressed concern for him.

He had been incredibly tense, but stopped her from leaving. "I'm just not used to this," he had said.

 _So, if it's not something he's used to, why would he be so willing with me?_ Even as she thought the question, Pyrrha felt her cheeks warming up as the answer immediately made itself clear. She tilted her head upward to look at his sleeping face. It wouldn't be difficult to kiss him if she wanted to.

Two things stopped her: One, she remembered that morning breath was a thing. Two, she heard Ruby shifting in her bed and quickly decided to fake sleep.

Ruby climbed down from the lofted bed, biting the inside of her cheek to stop herself from squealing at the sight in front of her. _That's it,_ she thought. _If they aren't together by the end of the day, I'll get Yang to throw them in a closet._ Grabbing her toothbrush, she quietly left the room to clean up for the day.

Pyrrha started lightly nudging Jaune. Weiss would be awake soon, and she definitely was the type of person to give lectures on decency, modesty, and other similar things after finding her roommate in bed with someone. Neither Pyrrha nor Jaune needed _that_ on a Saturday morning.

"Hm…?" Jaune groaned, pressing his cheek into the pillow. He didn't want to get up. He had been having an amazing dream about snuggling on the couch with Pyrrha near the family Christmas tree. It had been so relaxing and so real. The feeling of holding her close was still in his mind, almost as if he really was-

His eyes shot open. He was fully awake and holding a familiar form in his arms. He looked down and Pyrrha's stunning emerald eyes looked back.

 _Crap,_ he thought. _I didn't talk in my sleep tonight, did I? It would be just my luck if I said something!_ He tried to not look as panicked as he felt. "Uh, morning," he said, grinning shakily. He knew that his face was probably as red as Ruby's cloak at this point.

"Good morning," Pyrrha replied. _He seems nervous, but he still isn't letting go of me. That's promising,_ she thought. "We should probably get up before Weiss does. I'm not in the mood for a lecture."

"Oh, right!" Jaune unwrapped his arms from Pyrrha and sat up. _Was I holding her like that all night?!_ "Ruby too. She'd never let me hear the end of it. Uh, not that she'd have any reason to tease me about this specifically. Um, she's just, well, you know." _Stop. Talking. You. Moron._

"Yes, I know how it is," Pyrrha said, deciding to save her friend from any more awkward ramblings. She pretty much had all the confirmation she needed at this point, anyway.

She hadn't been sure previously, because his occasional bouts of nervousness around her could easily be chalked up to his socially-awkward personality. His kindness seemed universal to everyone he was close to. His eagerness to hang out with her could have simply been signs of a very deep friendship, like what he had with Ruby. However, between the way he had acted in response to Pyrrha's offer to sleep next to him, and his slip-up concerning Ruby's teasing, Pyrrha was pretty sure that Jaune was as interested in her as she was in him. All that was left was figuring out a good time and place to talk about it.

 _This certainly isn't the time or place,_ she thought as she glanced toward Weiss's bed before finding her toothbrush and a clean washcloth. "Once we're all dressed, I was thinking we could go to the campus Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast."

"Sounds good," Jaune replied, thankfully regaining his composure. "Wouldn't it be cheaper to swipe us in at the dining hall, though?"

Pyrrha grimaced. "It would be, but I wouldn't feed the food from the dining halls to a dog, much less my friends."

"That bad?" Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't the school brag about having gourmet chefs or something?"

"Coco worked there for a few months," Pyrrha explained. "She quit before the semester ended, because it was so filthy. Did you know that they use the dishwasher to clean the filthy floor mats at the end of the day? And that they sometimes mix up the dirty and clean utensils when putting them out?"

"Ugh!" Jaune shuddered. "On second thought, Dunkin' Donuts sounds perfect." _Okay, she's talking casually. This is good. So, last night wasn't just a fluke, right?_ He tried to find that sleepy confidence that had come to him while lying on the futon in the dark. Unfortunately, it seemed to have faded with the coming of morning.

He was still rummaging through his overnight bag when Pyrrha left to brush her teeth and Ruby came back into the room. "Shut up," he said as she started to open her mouth.

Ruby closed her mouth again, mimed zipping it, and winked cheekily. She couldn't keep the wide smirk from her face, though. It only grew wider in response to Jaune's blush and annoyed glare.

"Look, I'm gonna tell her today, so no trying to push me, okay?" Jaune continued, glancing to the side. "If I can get up the guts to do it, anyway."

Ruby was unable to suppress a squeak. "It's about time! As for guts, maybe I could ask Uncle Qrow for some of his 'liquid courage.'" She tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Yeah, no," Jaune said. "The last time I took a drink of that, I almost puked. I'm not sure if that stuff is legal, even if we were twenty-one."

"Tell me you're not talking about drinking," Weiss's annoyed, tired voice came down from her bed. "I'll have you know that I'll have none of that in this room."

Jaune and Ruby rolled their eyes at each other and said nothing else.

…..

During Dagorhir that afternoon, both Jaune and Pyrrha were noticeably distracted. Pyrrha lost very easily to Ren in a one-on-one sparring match and Jaune took both an arrow and a javelin to the face over the course of a few minutes during one of the group battles.

When Barty called a water break, Jaune walked over to Velvet and Coco. "Hey, guys. Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Sure thing," Coco said with a grin. "What's happening, Arc Angel?"

"Well, this may seem like a weird question, but how did you guys get together?" Jaune asked. "Like, how did you tell each other and what happened after that?"

Velvet's eyes lit up. "Are you finally going to tell Pyrrha how you feel?" she asked in a whisper.

Jaune pouted. "Okay, can we at least _pretend_ that I'm not pathetically-obvious? Humor me, would you?"

Coco snickered and ruffled Jaune's hair. "You're freaking adorable, do you know that?" She took a sip of water before taking on a serious expression. "Well, for us, we had been rooming together for a little over a month. I knew how I felt, but I didn't want to make Velvet uncomfortable, since we were roommates."

"How did you get past that?" Jaune asked.

Velvet smiled. "Simple. We realized that our friendship was too strong for a potentially one-sided crush to ruin it. At least, that's what I realized, since I was the first one to say anything."

This surprised Jaune. "You? Really?"

Coco laughed. "I know. Seems backwards, right? I was so worried about saying the wrong thing to my supposedly-timid roomie, she ended up being the brave one instead!"

"I told her that I liked her a great deal, and that I wanted to go out with her. I also made it clear that I was fine with just being friends as well. The main thing is to not put pressure on the other person," Velvet explained. "After that, we just figured things out as we went. That's really the only thing you can do."

Jaune nodded slowly as he listened. "That makes sense. So, when's a good time to tell someone?"

"Just find a quiet moment when you two are hanging out and bring up the subject if it feels right," Coco said. "I'm sure Pyrrha- Sorry, the 'hypothetical girl in this situation that totally doesn't involve you' will probably be open to talk about it."

Jaune pouted again, giving Coco a dry look that only caused her to burst out laughing.

…..

"I can't believe I'm doing this. You people are a bad influence, I'm telling you!" Weiss huffed as she tried to find a comfortable way to crouch down in the bushes. Though she was still wearing her beige Dag pants, she didn't want to get unnecessary grass stains on them.

"Quiet! You'll give away our position," Ruby whispered, peering through a gap in the bushes toward the Dag field. Jaune had lingered while Pyrrha went to help Barty put the weapons in his car. He was pacing back and forth and mumbling to himself. "This is gonna be it! He's gonna tell her!"

"We shouldn't be eavesdropping like juveniles. Even though you're a high school student, I assumed you were more mature than this."

"Says the college student who's crouching in the bushes with me. I'm not forcing you to do this, you know." Ruby smirked. "So, I know you wanna hear this as much as I do."

"Hmph!" Weiss glared sulkily at Ruby, but didn't protest anymore.

Jaune, meanwhile, was focusing on remembering how to breathe correctly. He decided to tell her right when she came back, before he could lose his nerve. It would have to be on the Dag field. Weiss would probably be at the dorm room doing homework by now, Jaune's whole family was at home, and the coffee shop was full of potential eavesdroppers. The field was empty and would likely remain that way, so this was the best place to do this.

A more poetic person would have stopped to muse at the fact that this was being done in the place where Jaune and Pyrrha first met. Jaune, unfortunately, was too intent on his breathing to waste thoughts on such matters.

Pyrrha didn't return from the parking lot right away, but paused to take a few calming breaths first. This was it. She had no logical reason for delaying this any longer. She knew how she felt, and had a pretty good idea concerning how Jaune felt. They were close enough friends at this point to be honest with each other, regardless of the outcome. Despite this rationale, her heart was still fluttering like an unbelted tunic.

She approached the field, frowning at the way Jaune was pacing. "Are you okay?"

Jaune jumped. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." He rubbed at the back of his neck self-consciously. "Um, Pyr? Can I talk to you before we go downtown?"

"Of course," Pyrrha replied. "I actually wanted to tell you something as well."

"Yeah? What?"

"It can wait. You can go first."

"Nah, it's fine. You go first."

"Are you sure?"

"Sure. I mean, mine's really quick, so…"

"Maybe you should go first, then."

"Oh my god," Weiss groaned, putting her hand over her face.

"Quiet!" Ruby hissed, her silver eyes fixed eagerly on their friends. She secretly agreed with Weiss, though.

Jaune took a steadying breath. _Okay, Jaune. Man up. Just say it._ "Um, well," he started. _Try saying it without stuttering like a moron!_ he scolded himself. "W-We've been pretty good friends since the beginning of the year, huh?" he said lamely.

"Definitely," Pyrrha agreed. She looked at Jaune's pink cheeks and nervous expression. Could it be that he wanted to talk about the same thing she did? Deciding to take a chance, she added: "It's only been over two months, but I feel like I've known you for years."

Jaune's heart leapt at Pyrrha's words. "Yeah! That's just what I was thinking!" He grinned excitedly before hurriedly looking at the ground again. "Um, so I figured that we can be honest about stuff, since we're such good friends, right?"

"I should think so," Pyrrha replied, her mouth feeling suddenly dry as anticipation started building within her. "You can always be honest with me." She desperately wanted to just say what she was feeling and end this tense moment, but decided to let Jaune finish articulating his own thoughts.

"Okay," Jaune said, taking another deep breath before finally saying it: "I like you, Pyrrha. A lot." He forced himself to meet her gorgeous green gaze. "I always look forward to hanging out with you, more than anyone else. It's like you said: It feels like we've been friends for years. I…I want to keep being friends, of course."

He swallowed nervously before continuing. "B-But, I'd also like to see if maybe we could be… I mean, maybe we could go out sometime, though we kinda already do that. I mean…" _Crap! Of course I get tongue-tied NOW of all times!_

Thankfully, Pyrrha decided to come to his rescue. "Jaune," She placed a hand on his arm, cutting off his rambling. She smiled softly as his glittering blue eyes fixed on her. "I feel the same way. I felt a connection between us on that first day at orientation, and that feeling only deepened with time. I would like to see what comes of this, if that's okay with you."

Jaune stared at Pyrrha's hand. "So, you feel the same?" His shoulders slumped with relief. "Oh, thank god!" he breathed before quickly straightening up. "Uh, I mean that's awesome! I mean, uh…"

Pyrrha took a step forward and touched her lips to his cheek, effectively silencing him. "Don't hurt yourself," she murmured. Was it really possible for someone to be so attractive and adorable at the same time?

Jaune's cheeks turned bright red. For a split second, all knowledge of the English language and even his own name left him. Thankfully, the moment passed and he was able to savor the fact that Pyrrha had just freaking kissed him! A radiant smile spread across his flushed face. "So, does this mean our post-Dag coffee thing today is our first official date? I'm paying, if that's the case."

Pyrrha took Jaune's hand, smiling as he immediately twined their fingers together. "That sounds grand. Shall we?"

As they started to leave the field, however, they froze as a familiar voice declared: "Unbelievable! They didn't even kiss for real!"

Jaune spun around, blue eyes flashing. _"RUBY!"_

Ruby stood up, silver eyes wide. "Uh, hi?" She glanced nervously from side to side, already mentally planning an escape route.

Weiss, thoroughly done with crouching behind a bush, also stood up. "What was that about giving away our position, dolt?"

"Shut up!"

"I can't believe-! You were-! The whole-!" Jaune sputtered as he stared at the two. A gentle squeeze to his hand caused him to look at Pyrrha, who was eying the sword and shield under his other arm

"I hit them with your sword while you bash them with your shield?" Pyrrha suggested, her eyes glittering mischievously.

Jaune felt an evil grin rapidly replacing his look of outrage. "I like the way you think." He handed his sword to Pyrrha before walking toward the bushes.

"Wait! I was roped into this!" Weiss protested as she emerged. "I don't even have a weapon on me!"

Ruby leaped forward, brandishing her red sword. "Fear not, Weiss! The Rose Knight shall protect thee! Thou shalt meet thy doom, filthy ship-teasers!" she declared before running toward Jaune and Pyrrha.

During the next few minutes, all else was forgotten as the three took turns beating each other to the ground. Weiss watched, shaking her head slowly. "Dunces," she murmured, turning her gaze toward the sky. "I am utterly surrounded by dunces."

 **This was a fun one. Like, I literally sat down at the library and typed this over the course of three hours (not counting the editing I did later). It usually takes at least two or three sittings to complete a oneshot or chapter, but this one just had me going from beginning to end. I hope that inspiration starts running like this for the rest of the stuff I'm working on! Until next time. Peace out!**


	6. A Trip to Goodwill

**Greetings, everyone. It is the week before my last finals week, and my life has been a living hell as a result! It seems that the profs think it's a great idea to give a ton of assignments with due dates right before finals. Thankfully, I have a backlog for this fic, allowing me to post updates even if crap like this gets in the way of my writing. This is a shorter chapter that focuses more on Ren and Nora. Enjoy!**

"Couldn't I cut this up to make it look like a tunic?" Nora asked, holding up a hot pink blouse.

"I don't think Vikings wore bright pink, Nora," Jaune said as he peered through the racks. After postponing the trip multiple times, he had finally gotten around to taking Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha to Goodwill to show them how to find discount costume supplies. "We want to be at least somewhat authentic."

Nora pouted. "A Viking wouldn't care what people thought of her wearing pink," she muttered, but put the blouse back anyway.

"Try red or burgundy," Ren suggested. "That's close."

"What's burgundy again?"

"It's like a dark reddish-purple."

Pyrrha was looking through a rack of black yoga pants, trying to find something that didn't have any brand prints on them. She found a loose pair of dark swish pants, which she put over her arm before walking over to the belts. "It's too bad that none of the shoes work."

"We can try Walmart at some point," Jaune suggested. "I generally avoid buying used shoes, anyway." He eyed the belts. "This leather one could work." He pointed to a plain brown leather belt with an older-looking buckle.

Pyrrha took the belt and examined it. "This looks good. I want to be able to put one of Barty's dragon scale keychains on it." She was referring to scalemail keychains that Barty made and sold in his spare time. They looked like simple lines of dragon scales in various colored metals.

"I have a silver and gold one if you want to use it," Jaune offered. "I don't really wear it with my costume."

"Thanks, but I think I'll buy one of my own. Red and gold will go better with my character's color scheme. Besides, I want to support Barty."

"That's mainly why I bought mine," Jaune admitted. "Though, it does look pretty cool. Maybe I'll create a dragonslayer character who wears it."

"Or wear it to a Renaissance Festival. Are there any in the area?"

"Oh, yeah! There's one in spring that I go to with my family and Ruby's family every year. I'll let you know when it is if you wanna come with," Jaune said eagerly. "There are weapon stands, jousting, and garb shops. The food is amazing."

"That sounds fun. I've never been to one before," Pyrrha said, smiling at how excited Jaune was. "Is it true that they sell whole turkey legs?"

"Yeah, but no one can ever finish one."

"I could!" Nora chirped, popping up from behind another stand, holding a loose burgundy shirt. "How's this, Jaune?"

Jaune eyed the shirt before nodding. "Perfect. If you make an emblem for yourself, you could easily paint it on the front with fabric paint."

"Ooh! Good idea." Nora looked over her shoulder. "Find anything, 'Lotus Boy?'"

"That will never catch on!" Ren called back. "And not yet." He was looking through the green shirts.

"What are you doing for your character?" Jaune asked. "Ninja? Rogue? Warrior?"

"I was thinking of being a rogue. I like using daggers," Ren replied.

"Hm. Maybe you could wear on open leather vest like Sun," Nora murmured, tapping her chin as her eyes glittered. She was only partially teasing.

"No," Ren said flatly. "Unlike my roommate, I fight with my shirt on."

"You're no fun." Nora pouted.

They left a little while later, once Ren had found a dark green shirt that could pass for a tunic. "Ah, the improvised Goodwill tunics," Jaune declared. "We truly are poor college students."

"We should wear them around campus," Nora said, bouncing up and down. "We could start a fashion statement!"

"Well, Jaune and I already wear our garb at the coffee shop," Pyrrha said, shrugging her shoulders. "No one seems to care."

She slipped her hand into Jaune's as they walked, squeezing it gently. Ever since their mutual confession a few days ago, the act felt so natural. She always glanced at his face whenever she took his hand, enjoying the way his eyes gained a happy light and the way his lips quirked upward, almost like an instinctive response to her touch.

Jaune smiled at the warmth of Pyrrha's hand in his. Lame as it was, he felt practically giddy whenever she did something like that, whether it was a touch to his arm or a quick kiss goodbye on the cheek. "At least we're set for Halloween."

Pyrrha tilted her head. "Is it that close already?" _Now that he mentions it, it_ is _near the end of October._ Being in college did weird things to a person's sense of time. In high school and all previous years, holidays were raved about weeks in advance. In college, focus was mainly on finishing assignments. The only sign of the upcoming events came in the convenience stores and craft shops, as well as the arrival of the seasonal Halloween and costume shops. In a haze of assignments and Dag practice, it was easy to forget.

"We should all go to the costume shops on Saturday before Dag!" Nora bounced up and down. "And we need to go Trick-Or-Treating together."

Ren raised an eyebrow. "Do people look favorably on college students doing that?"

"They shouldn't mind," Pyrrha said. "I mean, I think we of all people deserve free candy."

"Totally!" Jaune replied, secretly glad that he wasn't the only one planning on going Trick-Or-Treating. "People in the area don't really care. Our house gets college students all the time and I always go out with Ruby. Yang went till she turned eighteen. After that, she started hitting the local dance clubs instead."

"That sounds fun too!" Nora's eyes glittered as she hugged Ren's arm. "Ren, we should totally go dancing this week!"

"We'll see what our assignments are," Ren said with a patient smile. "You still have a few midterms to study for."

"Ugh! Don't remind me."

Jaune groaned as he thought about the upcoming tests. "These next few days are gonna suck, that's for sure. We may need to shorten this week's Pathfinder session."

"It'll be better once we start taking classes relating to our majors," Pyrrha assured him. "The general education courses are supposed to be the worst."

"Yeah. Our majors." Jaune laughed nervously. He still was having trouble figuring out a good major for himself. He liked playing games, but he wasn't sure about how to apply that to a major. Pyrrha had suggested a Business or Marketing major with a Fine Arts minor, so he could try and open up his own gaming store. That idea had a certain appeal. He just needed to talk to his advisor and figure out what he'd have to do for a degree of that nature.

"You'll figure something out. I'm sure of it." Pyrrha was confident of that much. She gave his hand another squeeze as they continued down the sidewalk downtown. As they walked, she glanced at Ren and Nora. Nora was still hugging her best friend's arm and Ren's face still held that small, tolerant smile. It occurred to Pyrrha that this looked very much like a double-date. _They certainly would be cute together._

Once they got back to campus, Jaune and Pyrrha went off on their own, since they had a class within the next hour. Nora looked up at Ren. "Wanna come over and play some Skyrim?" She could tell that the walk back had tired him, so she offered him an option that would allow him to take a nap if he wanted to.

"Sure." Ren smiled, leaning on Nora a little as she continued to hold his arm. Since they were little, it almost seemed as if she was able to read his mind. They had bonded in elementary school, finding common ground in the fact that they were the only adopted children in their grade. On the outside, they seemed like an odd pair. Ren, however, couldn't imagine life without her. They were perfectly comfortable with each other and, despite their opposite personalities, never wanted the other to change.

When they got back to the dorm, Blake was reading in her bed. She glanced up as they came in. "Have fun at Goodwill?"

"Yep!" Nora chirped. "We got some improvised tunics. You should come with next time." It had taken time, but Blake had finally been convinced to join a few Dag battles. Sun asked about her frequently, according to Ren.

"I may just go to the costume store to find something," Blake murmured as she returned to her book.

Nora shrugged before opening her laptop and sitting down in a pile of blankets she had set up on the floor. Ren curled up next to her, his head coming to a rest on a pillow near her hip. She petted his hair softly as she waited for the laptop to boot up. "Hey, Blake. Mind if I play some Skyrim with the sound on?"

"Go ahead," Blake replied. "The background noise doesn't bother me as long as no one's screaming."

"Great." Nora had headphones, but didn't want to use them. Ren liked watching her play while he dozed.

As Nora started playing, Ren propped himself up on his elbows to look at the screen. "Are you doing the Dragonborn missions?"

"Yep," Nora murmured as she sent her character, an Orc fighter, through a cavern. "I hate those stupid Cthulu monsters."

"They are pretty annoying," Ren agreed. "But, at least you get to ride a dragon by the time the quest ends."

"Too bad the riding mechanics suck." Nora killed a cultist with a warhammer she had enchanted with electricity. "Jaune and Pyrrha are pretty cute, huh?"

"Mm hm," Ren agreed, letting his head rest on the pillow again. "I'm glad they finally figured things out." He tried to hide the touch of envy in his voice.

"Me too. I was starting to get legitimately stressed out wondering if they'd ever get together!" Nora said, shaking her head.

 _It's not fair, though. They only knew each other for a few months and were able to get together. I've known Ren for years, and am still too chicken to say anything. Maybe I'll talk to Pyrrha about it. She can keep a secret._ She thought about asking Blake later on, but her quiet roomie didn't seem to have much to say on the subject of romance. Whenever Nora asked her how she felt about Sun, Blake would just shrug and say nothing. Nora did detect a slight blush on her cheeks sometimes, though.

"Do you want to wear our Dag costumes for Halloween?" Ren asked. "Since we're in college, we may have to hold off on more elaborate costumes for now."

"Yeah," Nora sighed. Normally, she liked to go all-out on Halloween. Her costume during the previous year had been a dwarf (including a fake beard and cardboard axe). Ren had been an elf, utilizing a pair of fake ears he had gotten at a Renaissance Festival. He didn't wear them at Dag, since the risk of them coming off and getting trampled in the mud was far too high. "It's probably for the best, unless we can get a job on campus or something."

"Just not at the dining hall," Ren said firmly.

"No kidding. Blech!" Nora made a face as she thought back to the horror stories Coco had told her. "I actually ATE there during orientation! If I had gotten sick, I probably could have sued and paid my tuition that way."

Ren chuckled. "I don't think it would have been that easy, Nora. There would have been no way to prove that the dining hall food had been the culprit."

"Hey, I don't need your logic!" Nora shot back, nudging Ren with her elbow. He merely rolled his eyes at her before resting on the pillow and scooting a little closer. She took her hand from the keyboard to brush his hair from his face. His breaths became deeper and more even within a few minutes. She felt a tender smile replacing her earlier grin as she continued to stroke his hair.

Her character had died in the game without her noticing. At that moment, she didn't care in the slightest.

 **So, on my profile is a poll. After I finish this fic and Mates for Life (yes, I** _ **am**_ **finishing that), I plan on starting another chapter project. The problem is deciding which one I will do first. That's where you guys come in! Feel free to vote on what you'd like to see from me next. I'll make my decision once I've finished my current projects.**

 **Anyway, review but don't flame. You know the drill. I'll see you next week if finals don't kill me. Peace out!**


	7. Weapon Building

**Hey, guys. Sorry about the late update. My backlog, which I mentioned in the previous chapter, actually ended last week. Between finals, packing, and a bunch of other crap, I wasn't able to get an update out on time, and I apologize for that.**

 **On the plus side, I am now a college graduate. My plans for the future involve saving up money for the next year, trying to get some stuff published, and traveling to Europe with the money I save up. Since I won't have classes to worry about, I'll have time to update fics quicker. I also plan on starting a account, where I'll give out rewards and sneak peeks of some original works. Another exciting update is that I plan on opening for commissions for the first time ever soon. I just need to figure out a good payment method (since sucks) and a good price system. So, stay tuned for updates on that.**

 **In the meantime, enjoy this next chapter.**

The smell of DAP overwhelmed the senses and caused Pyrrha's nose to burn. She was thankful for the fact that Barty's garage at least had decent ventilation. After carefully sanding her piece of PVC pipe, she smeared the smelly substance onto the rough plastic and the foam she would be attaching to it.

Jaune was in a similar situation as he worked on a new blue sword. His nose wrinkled as he checked the DAP. Once it dried partially, so that it was tacky and sticky, he draped the foam over his sanded pipe lengthwise, so that it folded over the tip and ran up and down both sides, making the first curve of his sword. He checked the hilt, which was still drying. "If this one turns out good, you can use my old blue, if you want," he said as he used a clamp to keep the foam tightly attached to the PVC. "Javies are okay at short distances, but not quite as good as a sword."

"Thank you," Pyrrha said. "I hope to try making a blue of my own during the next building session, but I figured that my javelin and shield were enough for this one."

A sizeable number of people had come to Barty's garage that Sunday for the building session. For ten dollars, Barty allowed access to his equipment and supplies, and cut the PVC pipes using an electric saw. Most of the newbies were making blue swords, but there were some exceptions. Pyrrha had decided on a javelin and a circular punch shield, Ren was making a pair of daggers, and Nora was trying to make a blue battle axe. Sun had wanted to make a staff or a set of nunchucks, but neither one of those weapons was approved, so he settled with a standard pair of blue swords.

After clamping the end of her javelin to secure the foam to the pipe, Pyrrha leaned against Jaune's side, smiling as a cool breeze came through the window, temporarily overriding the smell of DAP. "Will we be fighting with our new weapons once they're done?"

"Afraid not," Barty cut in as he walked toward the electric saw with still more pipes to prepare. "You'll need to let the DAP sit overnight. Twelve hours at least, otherwise the weapon could fall apart with a hard enough hit."

"So, I'm hearing 'impromptu hitting each other session before class tomorrow,' is that right?" Nora asked, glancing at the others with a hopeful grin.

"That would involve getting up early on a Monday, though," Jaune reminded her as he wrapped an arm around Pyrrha's shoulders. "How about in the evening after class?" He rested his cheek on top of Pyrrha's head and closed his eyes contentedly.

"Post on the forum if you are planning an impromptu session," Barty advised. "Most of the members on campus are happy to come out for some extra fighting."

"I'm game," Sun said. "My last class ends at four. Think you can get Blake out, Nora?"

"I might. It's not easy, but she's coming out of her shell."

"Cool. No pressure, though. I know that the quickest way to turn off an introvert is to bug her constantly."

"They can become immune. Take me, for example," Ren said, casting a teasing glance in Nora's direction.

Nora pouted and stuck out her tongue. "Jerk!"

Ren smirked and lightly tapped her nose. "Boop," he muttered.

"H-Hey! That's my word," Nora protested, her face flushing. She hoped that Ren wouldn't notice. Thankfully, the DAP got passed to him and he was briefly distracted as he spread it on his short pieces of pipe.

Pyrrha cast a knowing glance in Nora's direction before yawning quietly. She snuggled closer to Jaune, bringing up one arm to wrap around his middle.

"Tired?" Jaune asked, rubbing her shoulder.

"Just a little," Pyrrha admitted. "I barely slept this week because of midterms, and I had to work on an essay that's due tomorrow." She sighed loudly. "And that's not even all I have to do."

"You can take a nap while the DAP dries. I won't move."

"That would not be advisable," Barty said as he placed an armful of pipes on the table. "I would never recommend sleeping in the presence of DAP fumes, ventilation or no. Please step outside if you start getting drowsy."

"That involves moving, though." Jaune leaned his head back against the chair. "I'm not really feeling that right now."

Barty promptly found a loaner blue and started sharply tapping Jaune's head with it. "Get up! Go out and spar. There are loaners outside. It'll be good for you."

"Ow! Hey! Guys, I'm being bullied!" Jaune raised his hands to fend off the blows. "A university professor is bullying me. Make it stop!"

"I wanna join!" Sun started pelting Jaune with bits of scrap foam.

"Hey!" Jaune cringed under the double-attack. "Pyrrha, they're ganging up on me."

"I'm on it." Pyrrha got up and rounded the table, grabbing Sun and easily putting him into a headlock.

"Hey, that's Ren's roommate!" Nora shouted, standing up. "Ren, aren't you going to fight for your roommate's life?"

"…Eh." Ren shrugged.

"Oh, I see how much I mean to you now!" Sun lamented, struggling to get out of Pyrrha's grip. "And I thought we were bros."

"I shall fight for the Monkey King in Lotus Boy's stead!"

"That will never be my Dag name, Nora," Ren groaned.

"Okay, okay, let's take this outside, please," Barty quickly cut in. "There is an electric saw five feet away from you."

The five were quickly vacated. Once in the yard, they found the loaner weapons. Nora and Sun immediately bolted for the pile before running toward Jaune and Pyrrha. Pyrrha nimbly dodged around Sun before grabbing a sword of her own.

"We've got you now, fiends!" Nora declared, beating Jaune's side.

"Hey, let me get a weapon first," Jaune protested, running toward the pile and grabbing a sword. He raised it just in time to block another blow from Nora. "No Viking can match the greatest drow-slayer in the land! Hey, Ren? You getting in on this?"

Ren watched the two fighting pairs, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Not yet. I'm weighing my odds."

"Reeeen, you're supposed to be on my siiiiide," Nora whined, whacking Jaune's leg.

"Keep beating up Jaune, and I will be."

"Jerk!"

"I'm not dead, yet!" Jaune lunged forward, propelling himself with the leg Nora hadn't hit and thwacking her side soundly with his sword.

At the same time, Pyrrha was beating Sun into the ground while he curled up and tried futilely to fend off the blows. "Do you surrender?"

"Never!" Sun shouted. "I shall never- Ow! Hey! That's a cheap shot, man."

"I don't know, Nora. Jaune and Pyrrha are making a pretty strong case." Ren walked over to the loaner pile and started digging through it for a suitable sword.

"How about this case?" Nora jumped on Ren, tackling him into the foam weapons before mercilessly tickling his sides. "Is this a strong enough case for you? What about this one?" She giggled as her friend immediately curled up and dropped the weapon he had been holding. Tickle fights weren't uncommon between them. Nora almost always won.

"Nora!" Ren sputtered, trying to bat away her hands. "That's cheating! You can't-" Unable to speak anymore, he doubled over laughing. He let his muscles go loose, accepting his fate and leaving it up to Nora to decide when he'd be freed.

Nora, sensing victory, rolled off of Ren with a smirk. She yelped when Jaune started hitting her with his blue again. "Don't beat a dead girl," she protested.

"Tickling isn't Dag-legal. I'm disciplining you," Jaune explained, whacking Nora's side a few more times before backing off. He rolled his eyes and smiled at the two friends. "You doing okay, Ren?"

"Uh huh," Ren replied, still semi-breathless. "This is normal for us. Just give me a second."

"I do believe this round is ours, Arc Angel," Pyrrha said, stepping back to allow Sun to get to his feet.

Jaune nodded, looking at the three prone forms scattered across the yard. "I do believe it is, Ophelia." He walked over to Pyrrha and pulled her close with one arm, kissing her cheek. "Well fought, milady."

Pyrrha giggled quietly and touched her lips to Jaune's cheek, smiling at the immediate blush that flared up on his face. "Well, I'm certainly not tired anymore."

"Barf! Get a room," Sun said as he got to his feet.

"Am I detecting bitterness from the Monkey King?" Jaune asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, though I am starting to feel like a bit of a fifth wheel between you two and those lovebirds over there."

Nora's face turned bright red as she sat up. "H-Hey! Ren and I aren't together-together. We've t-told you that before."

"That's right. You have." Sun glanced at Jaune and Pyrrha with a clear "Are they serious?" expression.

Pyrrha shrugged and shook her head. It was none of their business when Ren and Nora finally figured things out. She had a feeling that Nora wanted to ask her for advice on the matter, but was content to wait for her friend to come to her. "Well, now that we've thoroughly beaten each other, what do we do now?"

As if on cue, Barty stuck his head out the window. "Just so you know, some of the others have brought Cards Against Humanity and are going to start a game soon."

A devilish grin spread across Sun's face at these words. "Oh, yeah. Prepare to bask in my superior glow, peasants. This is _my_ game!"

A few minutes later, they were all sitting at a fold-out table with a few other newbies. One of them was holding his black card and reading off the various choices. "Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and…mouth herpes." He went through until the last one. "Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and…a big black dick." He waved the white card. "Okay, who had that one?"

To everyone's surprise, it was Pyrrha who raised her hand. She smirked at Sun as she took her third black card of the game. "Who were you calling a peasant?"

The game went on for an hour. After a sudden upset during the last few rounds, Ren was the victor, earning his fifteenth black card with the combination: "Daddy's belt: kid tested, mother approved."

Afterward, they went back in and continued the process of gluing down foam. Jaune put two more layers of blue foam over the one he had already attached to the pipe while instructing Sun on how to do the same with his blues. Pyrrha carefully attached a wad of furniture foam to the end of her javelin. Ren did the same for his daggers. Nora had to glue a few extra layers and weigh the whole thing down, due to the uneven nature of her battle axe. Pyrrha's punch shield took another hour. It was agreed that making cloth coverings for the weapons would have to wait for another day.

By this point, the sky was starting to turn faintly yellow-orange. Since it was a long walk back to campus, the five decided to start back immediately. Barty was giving rides to anyone who asked, of course, but the small group felt that they should enjoy the fall weather while they could. According to Jaune, winter in Vale was pretty nasty and lasted forever.

Jaune noticed that Pyrrha's eyelids were starting to droop as they walked. "We could take Barty up on that ride, if you want?"

"I'm fine," Pyrrha insisted. "I'll just sleep when I get back to the dorm."

"Are you good on that essay?"

"Yes. I finished most of it, since I figured I'd be spending most of the day here. It's due in the afternoon, so I have time to polish it up." She hugged Jaune's arm and sighed. "It's Sunday, and I'm ready for the week to be over."

"I hear that," Sun muttered. "At least midterms are mostly over."

"Are we still on for beating each other up tomorrow?" Nora asked eagerly, skipping next to an exhausted Ren. "Even though our weapons won't be ready, Barty's gonna bring up the loaners in the evening after classes."

"After finishing that essay, I'll definitely want to hit something," Pyrrha said. "I'm in."

She blushed as Jaune kissed the top of her head and squeezed his arm a little tighter. If they had been alone, she would have tried mustering the courage to go for a full kiss on the lips. For now, however, she forced herself to wait. While she knew that she wanted her first kiss to be with Jaune, she also knew that she wanted the moment to be special. So, she simply nuzzled against his arm and smiled sweetly up at him.

The rest of the walk back consisted of plans for the upcoming week and a mutual agreement between all five young fighters that it needed to be the weekend again as quickly as possible.

 **I'm a little conflicted concerning what I want to do with this fic. Part of me wants to have chapters that focus on the other characters while part of me wants to keep the focus on Jaune and Pyrrha here while maybe making oneshots in this AU in the future that are about the others. What do you guys think?**

 **Anyway, as I said, sorry for the late update. I will be more punctual in the future, and you can expect a timely post on Friday. I have also started working on chapters of Once in a Shattered Moon, since that seems to be the winner in my poll. I'm also halfway done with the Black Sun chapter of Mates for Life, so you have plenty to look forward to from me in the future.**

 **Peace out!**


	8. Movie Night

**What's up, everyone? I told you I'd give you a timely update today. Reviewers seem to unanimously want this to be an Arkos-centric story, so that's what I'm going to deliver on. I'm thinking that I might end this particular story at the end of their first semester, and then type oneshots in this universe as inspiration hits. This chapter has more Dag battling and more Arkos snuggling, and there is never enough of that. Enjoy!**

"Okay, everyone! Listen up! We are having an undead battle," Barty called as he paced in front of the gathered fighters. "Who here knows the rules of an undead battle?"

Jaune, Ruby, Velvet, Coco, and a few others raised their hands. Jaune was grinning eagerly. "Is that the skeleton one? Do I get to use my skeleton voice?"

"Yes, Arc Angel. It is the skeleton one," Barty replied with an indulgent smile. He paused to take a sip from his thermos. "Now, the rules of the game are as follows…"

The game starts with a certain number of zombies and humans. If a zombie kills a human, that human comes back as a skeleton. As a skeleton, they can only use one hand to fight (meaning no shields allowed) and can be killed permanently with a single blow anywhere. Zombies need to lose all of their limbs and get hit in the torso before dying. The game ends when either all the zombies and skeletons are dead, or all the humans are turned into skeletons. Also, zombies are only allowed to walk.

"Do the zombies die if they get hit in the head with a projectile?" Pyrrha asked, looking at her new javelin.

"I'm going to say no, in order to discourage people from aiming for people's heads," Barty said. "The foam on javelins may be soft, but we like to avoid headshots if at all possible."

"Understood."

"Now, let's decide who our zombies will be."

The game started with Coco, Sun, Pyrrha, Ren, and a few others as zombies. The rest were humans. The zombies started walking toward the assembled humans, some of them shambling for effect. Sun and Coco in particular were hamming it up with frequent zombie moans and cries for "Brains!"

Jaune turned to Nora. "Ready to fight the undead horde, shield-sister?"

Nora brandished her battle axe, a big smile on her face. "Let us kill the fiends for Odin's glory!"

The two rushed into the horde, hitting everything they could reach. A bunch of the other humans followed, whacking at limbs and jumping back from the retaliatory blows. Jaune was quickly killed. Grinning, he dropped his shield.

"Nyeh-heh-heh! Time to devour the puny fleshies!" he shouted in his best Skeletor-esque voice.

Pyrrha actually stopped fighting to stare at him. "Jaune, that is the most ridiculous voice you've ever done, and that includes some of your Pathfinder NPCs."

"Just trying to play the part. Nyeh! Die, humans!" Jaune started swinging at the remaining humans, still shouting in his goofy skeleton voice.

Pyrrha wasn't sure whether to laugh or roll her eyes, so she settled for focusing on the battle. It seemed that Jaune just kept revealing more things for her to love about him. He was such a dork, and was completely shameless about that fact. Whether it meant going to the coffee shop in a tunic, wearing a dress in public on a dare, or running around the battlefield acting like a silly skeleton, he didn't seem to care what anyone thought of him. Even Weiss spoke favorably of his clear sense of confidence.

Of course, he sometimes lost that confidence around people who actually meant something to him. The idea of complete strangers ridiculing him didn't even register in his mind, but the thought of a friend or family member thinking ill of him was enough to make him stress for days. That was why Pyrrha made sure to always show him that she cared, whether that meant snuggling close to him during water breaks, or comforting him after an argument with one of his sisters.

She turned a few more people into skeletons, including Nora, before the fight ended with an undead victory. When Barty called a water break, Pyrrha walked over to Jaune, who was still talking in his skeleton voice.

"Nyeh! Victory was ours! Nyeh-heh-heh!"

Pyrrha chuckled and ruffled his hair. "You are such a nerd," she murmured affectionately.

"Good thing I'm your nerd, huh?" Jaune replied without missing a beat. His face flushed at how corny the words were, but knew by now that Pyrrha didn't mind corniness at all. He blushed an even deeper shade of red when he was rewarded with a gentle peck on the cheek.

"Well, aren't you two as freaking adorable as ever?" Coco sauntered over with Velvet, smirking as she looked at the new couple.

"Oh, don't embarrass them, Coco," Velvet said, nudging Coco's arm lightly. "Your new weapons are looking pretty good."

"Thanks," Jaune said, looking at his new blue. "I'm glad they all turned out okay. I was a little worried about Nora being able to make a good axe during her first building session, but it's looking pretty sturdy so far."

"That's one word for it." Coco rolled her shoulder. "She got my arm pretty good during that undead battle. Anyway, are you nerds free tonight?"

"We were going to hit the coffee shop. Why? Were you guys planning something?" Jaune asked.

"Well, over at our dorm, we've secured the common area for the night. We were thinking, since Halloween's just around the corner, we'd watch some appropriate movies. You interested?"

Jaune's eyes lit up. "Oooh! Like _Gojira_? Or the black and white Universal monster movies? I could get the DVDs from my house!"

Velvet gently patted Jaune's shoulder. "Sorry, Jaune. Think more modern. Like, the _Scream_ movies, _Friday the 13_ _th_ , and _The Ring_."

Jaune paled noticeably. "Uh, _The Ring_? Can we not?"

"Come on, man. Don't be a wuss." Coco punched his arm. "We're gonna start with the funnier, spoofy stuff and then go harder as the night goes on. Get it?"

"I mean, I like the _Scream_ movies just fine…" Jaune looked at Pyrrha. "What do you think?"

Pyrrha nodded eagerly. "I'd love to! I've only ever seen the first _Scream_ movie, and I haven't seen _Friday the 13_ _th_. We can leave before they get to the really scary ones, if you want."

Jaune breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. What time?"

"Nine. Plenty of time to get out of the sweaty Dag clothes and shower. Also, bring snacks if you can get any. And bring whoever else wants to come. We'll be asking everyone here." With that, Coco and Velvet walked off to talk to Nora and Ren.

"Well, this should be fun," Pyrrha said, smiling up at Jaune. "And I hope you show me those movies you were talking about eventually. Those are some of the classics, right?"

Jaune nodded. "Oh, yeah. Without the original black-and-white masterpieces, we wouldn't have horror as it is today. Maybe I'll bring them next week to Pathfinder, Ruby and I can stay over, and we can convince Weiss to stay up with us."

"Perhaps. She's starting to loosen up a bit, so there may be a chance." The two talked for a few more minutes before Barty called for another battle.

…..

"Honestly, why don't they just run?" Blake muttered as she stared at the screen impassively.

"I agree. Most of the issues in these movies could be solved by just running and _not_ stopping to look behind you like a complete dunce," Weiss whispered in reply. "I mean, what are they looking at? Do they want to see how far behind the killer is? Newsflash, dolt: The killer is _right behind you!_ "

"I feel that stomping on the killer's neck when he goes down would solve all the other problems," Sun said, shaking his head as the two protagonists ran fearfully away from the unconscious killer. "Morons."

Jaune was sitting in one of the armchairs in the common area of Coco and Velvet's dorm. To save room, Pyrrha was curled up on his lap. They listened to the commentary of their friends with silent smiles. Nora and Ren were sitting in an armchair nearby while Blake, Weiss, and Sun had taken one of the couches. Velvet and Coco were at the front in another armchair. Ruby, unfortunately, had not been allowed to come, since that would involve her getting home long after midnight, and she had a family event to go to the next day.

For Jaune, the movie was mostly background noise. Between the darkness of the room, and the fact that Pyrrha was very warm, he found himself falling into a half-drowsy state. Glancing occasionally at the screen, he contented himself with lazily running his hand up and down Pyrrha's arm while nuzzling sleepy kisses into her hair.

Pyrrha wanted to know what was happening in the _Scream_ movies, but was finding herself incredibly distracted by her cuddly boyfriend. _Is it okay to think of him as my boyfriend at this point?_ She felt her cheeks grow warmer and warmer with each soft kiss he planted on her head. Occasionally, she'd tilt her head up to brush her lips against his cheek. She could hear his heart steadily beating when she rested her ear against his shoulder. The last time she could remember feeling this content was that night after Pathfinder, when she and Jaune had slept on the futon together.

After the _Scream_ movies came _The Cabin in the Woods_ , and Jaune made sure to rouse himself and Pyrrha for that one. He insisted that she keep her eyes on the screen at all times. By the time it was over, she had to admit that he had been right.

When it was time to put in some of the scarier movies, the two didn't move. They were too comfortable and convinced that they could ignore the particularly freaky parts.

They were very wrong.

By the time _The Ring_ was over, Jaune was clinging to Pyrrha in a way that was almost painful. His eyes were wide and he was shivering a little as he stared at the screen.

Pyrrha, while not trembling, was definitely shaken by the time Coco and Velvet turned on the lights. She looked at Jaune. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Jaune blinked. "Uh, y-yeah. I'm good." He was very reluctant to get up, but eventually forced himself to his feet once Pyrrha stood.

The walk to the dorm in the dark was tense, and both Jaune and Pyrrha found themselves jumping at the occasional sounds made by night animals or a gust of wind. When they got to Pyrrha's dorm, Jaune hesitated.

"Hey, Pyrrha? This is going to sound totally lame, but… Um…" He rocked back and forth on his heels for a moment, glancing nervously at the deserted sidewalk that led to his house.

"You want to stay in the dorm instead of walking home in the dark?" Pyrrha guessed. When Jaune sheepishly nodded, she smiled. "Truthfully, I'd rather have someone nearby after those last few movies."

Jaune let out a sigh of relief. "You're awesome, Pyrrha!" He sent a quick text to his parents before following her into the dorm. After an annoying sign-in process, the two went upstairs.

Weiss arrived a few minutes after them. Upon seeing them setting up the futon, she shook a finger at them. "Remember, no funny business while I'm in here."

"Yes, Mom," Jaune said in a nasally voice while Pyrrha covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. "Whatever you say, Mom. Anything else, Mom?"

"Ugh!" Weiss shook her head despairingly before taking her pajamas out of a drawer. "Turn your head, please."

Jaune exchanged an amused glance with Pyrrha before obeying, fixing his eyes on the wall until Weiss gave him permission to turn around.

Their second night together on the futon wasn't nearly as awkward as their first. Being used to each other's presence and aware of their own and the other's feelings helped immensely with that. Jaune lay on his side, holding up one arm invitingly. Pyrrha immediately snuggled against him, resting her cheek on his shoulder and nuzzling his chest.

Jaune sighed happily, closing his eyes. Snuggling with Pyrrha was already chasing away the lingering images in his head of ghostly girls crawling out of television screens. "Why don't we do this after every Pathfinder session?"

"Because the dorm has a monthly limit on how many times a person can have guests," Pyrrha murmured. "It would be nice, though."

"Mm hm." Jaune ran his fingers through her hair, loving the silky feel of it. Despite the lingering fear from the movie, he felt so ridiculously happy. He still couldn't believe that he could be so comfortable and content with someone he had only known for a few months. Being close to her like this just felt so natural. Talking with her never grew boring or awkward, like it did with other people. How on earth did he get so lucky?

His mouth started to open, but he closed it quickly, realizing that a certain three words had been about to spill from it. _Hold up, dude,_ he told himself firmly. _This is way too soon for that! Control yourself. Don't be an idiot._ Instead of what he had almost said, he whispered: "Good night, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha yawned and snuggled closer, gripping gently at the front of Jaune's shirt. "Good night, Jaune."

The night was quiet and mostly dreamless. When a nightmare inspired by their marathon did pop up in one of them the other was quick to chase it away with a tighter hug and a wordless sound of comfort. By morning, they were both completely peaceful.

 **I could seriously write/read snuggle scenes for days. They are my shameless addiction when it comes to romance. I can't get enough of writing these two dorks! I love basically any AU where my precious babies are happy, after all. I also have the first chapter of the Werewolf AU Arkos fic ready for posting once I finish this piece. Mates for Life is being discontinued, as my various attempts to come up with a** _ **good**_ **chapter came to nothing, and the collection honestly feels like a chore at this point. On the plus side, that means getting to my other projects quicker.**

 **On the subject of Shane's open letter… I have decided to reserve judgment until we get Rooster Teeth's side of the story, though it's not looking too good for them. The idea that corporate bullshit led to the corruption of Monty's vision and the firing of one of his biggest supporters disturbs me deeply. The fact that Sheena, Monty's wife, retweeted this letter worries me even more. If the contents of Shane's letter turn out to be true, I don't know if I can in good conscience continue watching RWBY or supporting RT in any way.**

 **This doesn't mean I'll stop writing my fics. On the contrary, if RWBY is truly no longer Monty's RWBY, the only thing left is for the fans of his vision to create** _ **their**_ **RWBY. I intend to continue doing just that, regardless of what is unveiled in the future.**

 **I'll see you with the next update. Peace out!**


	9. Fainting on the Field

**Welcome, everyone! Prepare your teeth, because the sweetness of this chapter might be enough to kill you. Enjoy!**

It was common to hear about mental breakdowns and similar events when in college. Stories of students not eating or sleeping enough were told so frequently, they generally failed to evoke surprise. The heightened suicide rates during finals weeks, while viewed with a certain sense of horror, were generally processed through minds already numb to such things.

When Pyrrha entered college, she had told herself that she would be above such blatant stupidity, that she'd take care of herself and not overburden her body and mind with malnourishment and stress. That vow was kept until the second week of November.

She was staring at her computer screen with bleary eyes, focusing half of her energy on typing another sentence and the rest of it on stopping herself from nodding off on her keyboard. The words were starting to meld together into a jumbled mass of nonsense. Groaning, she sat back and rubbed her face irritably.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Weiss's concerned, motherly voice broke through the haze in Pyrrha's brain. "I know you only slept for two or so hours the previous night."

"I need to finish this for Sunday," Pyrrha murmured, shaking her head. "I sent it to my prof, but he said it would only get a C if I left it as is. I need him to check it one more time before the due date on Monday."

"How many times have you sent that in for him to look at?"

"Uh, twice. Three times? I don't know right now."

Weiss huffed irritably. "What kind of professor is this, anyway? Wait…Is it that one Honors professor with the brown hair who always looks like he's smelled something unpleasant?"

Pyrrha was too tired to laugh. "That's him." She added a parenthetical notation to the paper, breathing another heavy sigh.

"Hmph. I've heard of him. He makes at least three students cry a week. He must be on tenure or something." Weiss pulled Pyrrha's chair away from the computer and looked at her face. "Okay, you are to take a break. Lie down and take a nap."

Pyrrha shook her head. "I'm fine, Weiss. Besides, if I sleep now, I'll miss Dag."

"I think they'll understand one absence."

"Dag is the only thing I've been looking forward to all week," Pyrrha complained. "I even cancelled on Pathfinder last night." She forced a smile. "Trust me, Weiss. It'll be good for me."

She pointedly ignored the instincts that had been ingrained in her during her time playing sports in high school. Every single one of them was telling her that she was in no fit state to fight. She mentally retorted that she deserved to go to Dag and could handle a little sleepiness. Being on the field in the cool fall air would wake her up, she reasoned.

Checking the time, she saved her file and went to the dresser to get her Dag garb, aware of Weiss's disapproving glare behind her.

When the two got to the field, Pyrrha felt slightly better. The chilly breeze in her face definitely helped. Seeing Jaune's bright grin was even better.

"Hey, Pyr!" Jaune ran over and pulled her into a tight hug. He looked at her and his smile faltered. "Those are some pretty intense bags under your eyes. Are you okay?"

Weiss coughed pointedly, giving Pyrrha a look as she walked past the two to greet Ruby, but didn't say anything.

Jaune frowned, glancing from the heiress to his girlfriend. "Did you not get any sleep?"

"I'm fine, Jaune," Pyrrha assured him, resting her cheek against his chest. "I've just been busy."

"It's not that same essay, is it?" Jaune snorted when he felt her nod against him. "Jeez, that prof is crazy. If I were you, I'd just turn it in at this point and take whatever he gives you."

"It's too important of an essay to do that," Pyrrha mumbled. Leaning against his warm chest was causing her to feel drowsy, so she reluctantly drew back. "Don't worry about me, okay?" She caressed his cheek soothingly.

Jaune lightly kissed her palm. "Okay, but don't push yourself."

"Fighters to the field!" Barty called out, summoning the fighters and ending the conversation.

It was decided that the first game would be a slave battle, which had become a favorite among the members. Eagerly, they fanned out into a circle and readied their weapons.

"3, 2, 1, play on!" Barty shouted.

Pyrrha went for Ren, who was standing near her. He jumped back before darting forward, stabbing her chest easily with his dagger. "I fight for Lotus Boy!" she shouted, smiling at the eyeroll she got in response.

When she turned to fight Velvet, she stumbled a little, but was quick to play it off as simply tripping over a bit of uneven ground. She noticed that her arms felt rather "noodly" compared to how they usually were. It wasn't until she was in a scuffle with Ruby that things started to go wrong.

Ruby's red sword hit her hard in the side, causing her to fall to the ground. She put her own sword over her head. "I fight for the Rose Knight." Her voice came out much quieter than she had intended. She saw Ruby's concerned look and started to stand up.

Her head felt light. Her legs trembled. She blinked.

At least, she thought she had blinked. When she opened her eyes, however, she was lying near one of the trees at the edge of the field and surrounded by her friends. Jaune was dabbing her face with a moist cloth.

Jaune noticed Pyrrha's eyes opening and his shoulders relaxed. "Oh, thank god." He leaned down to kiss her cheek. "You okay, Pyr?"

Pyrrha tried to sit up, only to have Jaune's gentle hand push her back down. "What happened?"

"You passed out on the field. You were only out a minute, but that's enough to cause concern," Barty said crisply. He was holding her wrist, touching two fingers to the pulse. He clicked his tongue before turning Pyrrha's face toward his. He looked at her eyes for a moment before shaking his head. "Sleep deprivation. Probably some malnourishment, too. What is it that I keep telling my students, Miss Nikos?"

"That we need to take care of ourselves," Pyrrha answered. She stared at the ground, a hot flush of shame creeping up her neck. "I…I had an essay and didn't sleep last night, but I really wanted to come to Dag."

"Yes, yes, of course," Barty muttered, handing her a water bottle. "Take small sips. Don't think I don't understand. I too was a college student once, believe it or not." He sat back. "I'm going to have to forbid you from fighting anymore today. Also, don't you dare restart that essay when you get home. Eat something that isn't junk food and then get some sleep. Doctor's orders."

"But, you aren't a medical doctor, sir?" Pyrrha replied, cracking a slight smile.

Barty rolled his eyes. "Well, a sense of humor is a good sign. Think you're okay without us calling the hospital?"

The thought of a hospital bill almost made Pyrrha faint again. "No!" she quickly said. "Please, don't call the hospital!"

"Understood." Barty nodded before looking over his shoulder. "Miss Schnee, do you think you could take her back to your dorm?"

"I can do it, Barty," Jaune quickly volunteered. "I'll make sure she stays away from her laptop."

"Very good, very good." Barty stood up. "Take your time. Don't try to stand right away, and do get better."

Pyrrha nodded. "I will. Thank you, sir."

"Don't mention it, Miss Nikos. Just doing my job." Barty clapped his hands. "Okay, everyone else to the field!"

Weiss lingered for a moment. "See that she actually goes to sleep, Jaune. She's incredibly stubborn." She fixed Pyrrha with a stern glare and shook a finger at her before walking toward the field.

After a few more concerned words and glances, the others followed, leaving Jaune with Pyrrha. He sat close to her, gently petting her hair. "Let me know when you're ready to go."

Pyrrha nodded and yawned. "I'll be okay to walk in a minute, I think." She wrapped an arm loosely around his middle. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"I'm just glad you're okay. Please don't do it again, though." Jaune kissed the top of her head and waited patiently for her to be ready.

After a few more minutes, Pyrrha stood, leaning against the tree. The water had helped immensely and she felt capable of closing the distance to her dorm. Still, Jaune kept his arm around her shoulders and made sure to walk slowly the entire way there.

Since it was still daytime, there was no sign-in process, and they were able to go straight up. After Pyrrha sat down on the futon, Jaune went through her fridge. "You have practically nothing in here."

"I haven't been able to go shopping," Pyrrha muttered. "There are some granola bars on top of the dresser."

"Not sure if I'd call that food, but okay." Jaune grabbed a handful and gave them to Pyrrha, watching intently as she ate two of them.

Pyrrha noticed his look and rolled her eyes. "Jaune, I'm not going to hide them under my pillow."

"Sorry." Jaune glanced to the side. "You really worried me, that's all." He noticed her gaze traveling toward her laptop. "Ah, ah, ah! Don't even think about it!"

"If I could just-" She started to stand, only to get pulled into Jaune's lap. "Jaune, really?"

"Sorry, Pyr," Jaune said, hugging her close. "You're not allowed on that laptop until after you've slept. And no, the fainting spell doesn't count."

Pyrrha struggled for a moment before sighing in defeat and slumping back against Jaune. "Oh, fine." As she relaxed, she felt Jaune's comforting warmth already beginning to soothe her. She started to nod off where she sat.

Jaune grinned. "That's what I thought." He laid Pyrrha down on the futon and sat on the floor nearby. "I'll stay here till you're asleep. And don't try faking it and going to the essay when I leave, because I'll make sure Weiss kills you if you do."

"Is that a promise?" Pyrrha asked in a slightly disgruntled voice.

"Absolutely!" Jaune said, smirking a little. "And I always keep my promises." He imitated Nora's signature gesture and tapped her on the nose with his forefinger.

Pyrrha couldn't help but chuckle. "I suppose it's out of my hands, then." She allowed her muscles to relax and leaned back on the futon. Sleepily, she looked up at Jaune's eyes, which still held traces of concern. Her heart warmed as he grasped one of her hands in his, and she started to sit up again.

"Pyrrha, don't try to-" Jaune put a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder to push her back, but froze when she moved, not toward her desk, but toward him. Her eyes closed and her lips pressed against his. His eyes widened. A sharp jolt traveled from his lips to the rest of his body. His mind went completely blank. He felt the hand on her shoulder moving, so that his arm was wrapped snugly around her upper back, pulling her closer. At some point, his eyes closed of their own volition.

It was a first kiss for both of them, so it was chaste and a little uncoordinated. Their noses bumped a few times and their lips were chapped from their time outside. Just the same, it was utterly perfect.

Pyrrha snuggled as close as she could to Jaune, resting one hand on his chest while continuing to hold his free hand in her other one. She was so warm and content, yet somehow more awake than she had felt in two days. After a minute or two, she and Jaune drew back a few inches, both panting. She could feel his warm breaths mingling with hers as she stared at his half-lidded eyes. As soon as she caught her breath, she leaned in again.

Jaune felt so lightheaded, he wondered if he'd end up following Pyrrha's example by fainting on the ground. He held her close, kissing her gently and trembling at her eager response. Their second kiss quickly made way for their third. Then, their fourth. Jaune honestly lost count after that. Numbers were the last things on his mind. All that mattered was Pyrrha.

Finally, the two drew back one last time, looked at each other, and smiled simultaneously. Jaune brushed his lips against her forehead before coaxing her to lie down once again. Neither one said anything. They didn't need to.

Pyrrha closed her eyes, still holding one of Jaune's hands as she started to drift off. She touched a few sleepy kisses to his knuckles before finally falling into a well-deserved slumber.

Jaune sat by her for a long time, watching the slight rise and fall of her chest, the way her expression subtly changed when she started dreaming, and the slight fluttering of her eyelids. He held her hand as he leaned down, whispering something into her ear, something he had wanted to say to her many times before now. As he watched her sleeping face, he vowed that he would soon say it to her while they were both awake.

 **The fainting spell and the essay that the prof just isn't satisfied with are both situations that happened to me during my college career. I sure as hell won't be missing that! Anyway, I think that you'll be seeing maybe two or three more chapters in this fic before I'll mark it as completed. After that, I'll probably post stuff for Red String and Espresso Shots while I polish up chapters of the Werewolf AU. Until next week, peace out!**


	10. The L Word

**Do you ever have a moment when you see screenshots or art of Pyrrha and just feel the sadness and rage at her death rising anew within you because she was a freaking goddess who deserved so much better? Yeah. I had one of those moments a little while ago. Honestly, RWBY AU fics and fics taking place before Volume 3 are making up most of what I read and write for the fandom nowadays. Speaking of which, I have three chapters of the Werewolf AU drafted. Are you feeling the hype? I know you are! Enjoy.**

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" The high-pitched exclamation of glee could probably be heard all over campus and in some parts of downtown Vale.

Jaune rubbed one of his ears. "And now I'm deaf. Thanks, Ruby."

Ruby put a hand over her mouth, stifling a series of excited squeaks. "Sorry, sorry! I'm just really happy for you!"

"I couldn't tell. Speak up next time." Jaune rolled his eyes. "But seriously, do you think it's too soon? I've thought about it throughout Thanksgiving break, but I'm not sure."

"Pfft, no." Ruby waved a hand dismissively. "I've seen couples in high school saying it to each other within two weeks of dating. It's almost been a semester at this point. Besides, you two are like soulmates!"

Jaune's face flushed. "I…I wouldn't go _that_ far," he muttered, rubbing at the back of his neck.

"Oh, sure you are." Ruby nudged Jaune playfully with her shoulder. "Look at you two! You get along so well, are super comfortable with each other, talk about everything, and even sleep together without things getting weird. How much more perfect can you get?"

"I dunno. Calling us soulmates seems a little sappy."

"Says the King Sap himself," Ruby declared, giving him a dry look. "Anyway, I think you should say it to her. Even if she's not ready to say it back, I think she'll be happy. Isn't honesty a big thing in this whole relationship thingy?"

Jaune snickered. "Yeah, honesty is important to the 'relationship thingy.'" He gave Ruby a sly look. "So, when are you going to ask Weiss out?"

Ruby looked away, her own face starting to heat up. She pulled her scarf up to hide it. "I dunno. I want to see what acceptance letters I get first."

"Oh, I know Beacon will accept you," Jaune said. "They accepted me, after all, and you're way smarter than I am."

"I hope so. Going here will mean way less student loans, and still being able to hang out with you guys." Ruby looked up at Jaune. "I applied to some other places, too. I might talk to Weiss if I end up going here. If I go somewhere far away, there's not much point."

"I guess I understand that," Jaune allowed. "I'll hold off on the nagging until then." He laughed when Ruby pouted at him. "Come on, I think I get to have some fun after you and Weiss eavesdropped on my confession to Pyrrha."

Ruby's brows scrunched before she started laughing. "Okay, you got me there."

They got to the field, where a few other fighters were sparring in pairs. It was the middle of the week, but a bunch of people wanted to take advantage of the weather before it started to snow and the group would be forced to rent out one of the sweaty gym rooms. Even though it was nice for the beginning of December, most of the fighters still wore sweaters and scarves instead of their regular Dag garb.

Nora waved as they approached, rushing over to Ruby. "I heard an 'EEEEEEEEE!' What was it for?" Her gaze flitted eagerly between Ruby and Jaune.

"Oh, nothing," Ruby said, smiling mysteriously. "I'm sure Jaune will tell you all about it later."

Jaune shot Ruby a venomous look before noticing Pyrrha and Weiss approaching from their dorm. "Hey, guys!" he called, hoping that Ruby and Nora would take the hint and shut up. "How were classes today?"

"Ugh. Don't get me started," Weiss said, rolling her eyes.

"You really shouldn't get her started," Pyrrha added, mimicking Weiss's eyeroll and smiling when her roommate glared at her. "You already emailed him. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"What happened?" Jaune asked.

"Well," Weiss began, folding her arms. "Today was a review day for a test, so of course all the dolts who skip every other day showed up. One of them sat in my seat, and I was forced to sit in the back. Since I wasn't in my seat and since my professor clearly needs new glasses, I was marked absent."

"Absent?! You?! Oh, the humanity!" Nora cried, putting a dramatic hand on her forehead.

"Thank you! At least someone gets-" Weiss stopped when she saw that everyone was barely holding back snickers. She folded her arms. "Are you mocking me?"

"Mock you? That's absurd," Pyrrha said, winking at Nora. "Why on earth would we do that?"

"Hmph. I'm glad that the high standards I've set for myself during my education are _amusing_ to you all."

"Ooh! Are we messing with the Ice Queen?" Sun asked as he joined the group. Blake stood nearby, holding one of Barty's loaner swords. "Can I join?"

Weiss stomped her foot irritably and started toward the field, only for Ruby to zip over and hug her from behind. "Aw, don't be mad, Weiss! We're just fooling around. You know we love you."

"Yeah, loosen up." Sun playfully poked Weiss's face. "Let's see a smile. Come on."

"Don't poke me," Weiss said flatly, her frown turning into a disgruntled pout. She didn't say anything about Ruby hugging her, though. She tried to beat down the blush that was growing on her cheeks by glaring at Sun.

"Okay." Sun started waving a hand over Weiss's head repeatedly. "I'm not touching you! I'm not touching you!"

"I think she might actually kill you," Blake warned. "And I'll just stand here and watch."

"Save the killing for the field," Pyrrha said, nudging Sun away from Weiss. "Come on. We have enough people for a battle. Let's pick teams and start hitting each other."

Since it wasn't a full practice, they did a simple two-sided respawn battle. After a few rounds, they took a break, most of the fighters shedding their sweaters as the increased activity caused them to sweat.

Jaune pulled Pyrrha close with one arm and kissed her cheek. "Hey, you!"

Pyrrha giggled, brushing her lips softly against his. "Hello."

"Are you coming to Pathfinder this week? The party's gonna need its Cleric for what I have planned."

"Definitely. I don't plan on missing any more sessions unless I absolutely have to," Pyrrha promised.

"Good. And I hope there haven't been any other dizzy moments." Jaune raised a stern eyebrow.

"No dizziness, fainting, or sleep deprivation," Pyrrha recited. "Don't worry, Jaune. I'm not letting that happen again."

Jaune hugged her close, nuzzling her shoulder. "Just making sure."

Pyrrha sighed contentedly at her boyfriend's closeness. "You've been more affectionate than usual lately," she noted.

Jaune's grip loosened. "I'm not getting too clingy, am I?"

Pyrrha pressed closer to him and kissed the side of his neck. "I didn't say that."

"Yo, saps! No kissing on the field!" Coco's familiar, teasing voice called.

"We're not on the field, so nyuh." Jaune stuck his tongue out at her while still holding onto Pyrrha.

"Nyuh? Really, Jaune?" Coco snorted. "Going 'Nyeh-heh-heh' is getting too boring?"

Jaune gave her a withering stare. "Please, Coco. That laugh is only for when I'm a skeleton. Duh."

The banter continued for a few minutes before the group fought one more time. By the time that battle was over, it was getting to be too cold and dark to continue. The group went their separate ways, Ruby getting picked up by her sister, Weiss going to the library to study, and Jaune and Pyrrha hitting Starbucks before going to her dorm.

"Winter days are the worst," Jaune complained as they sat down on the futon, sipping their coffees. "If you sleep in just a little, it's dark within a few hours and you feel like you've wasted the whole day."

"And waking up early is harder, because it's still dark." Pyrrha pulled her math book out of her backpack. "Ready to study?"

"No," Jaune said flatly. "Can we just not?"

"Sorry, but science hasn't come up with a way to beam book information directly into our heads." Pyrrha ruffled his hair before opening the book and starting to recite problems.

Jaune took another drink of his latte, trying to focus on their classwork. Unfortunately, between his internal struggle on whether to tell Pyrrha the full extent of his feelings, his tiredness from practice, and Pyrrha's closeness, he was finding that almost completely impossible. Soon, he found his head resting on her shoulder and his eyes starting to droop.

"Hey." Pyrrha jerked her shoulder, causing Jaune to sit up again. "I know this isn't very exciting, but try to stay awake."

"Not my fault." Jaune shrugged. "You have a soothing voice, and that book is boring. Anyone would fall asleep."

"Okay, then." Pyrrha placed the heavy textbook on his lap, causing him to let out a loud "Oof!" "You read it."

"Me and my big mouth…"

After half an hour of studying, Pyrrha took pity on her boyfriend and allowed them to take a break. She smiled when Jaune immediately set the book on the floor and wrapped his arms around her, plopping his cheek on her shoulder. Gently, she started to pet his hair, causing a series of contented noises to rise in his throat. _Does he not know how cute he is, or is he doing this on purpose?_ she couldn't help but wonder.

Jaune closed his eyes, savoring the feel of Pyrrha's hand in his hair and the quiet sound of her breaths. "I love you," he sighed.

And, just like that, he had said it. There went the weeks of agonized planning, the dozens of daydreamed scenarios, and the ongoing question of when the right moment would be. He had just blurted it out after a dull study session. What kind of idiotic-?

Before his mind could start freaking out too much, it was quieted with a warm kiss from Pyrrha. Her lips moved insistently against his, causing them to part. Tongues brushed briefly for the first time and Jaune was pretty sure he made an embarrassing moaning noise when that happened. His hands ran slowly up and down her back as he pulled her onto his lap.

Pyrrha hummed happily as she nestled against his chest, gladly erasing any distance between them. Her heart felt like it was floating. Those three whispered words repeated themselves over and over in her head. Pressing closer, she continued to curiously stroke Jaune's tongue with hers, smiling as the soft sounds he was making.

Eventually, the two became too short of breath to continue and reluctantly ended the kiss, though their faces remained mere millimeters apart.

Jaune had a dazed look on his face and his eyes were half-lidded. Pyrrha rested her forehead on his as she looked into them. "I love you too," she murmured. "In case that wasn't clear."

"Wow…" Jaune breathed, blinking slowly as he stared at Pyrrha's shimmering emerald eyes. "I…wow." He touched a quick, chaste kiss to her lips. "That was…wow." Words suddenly weren't relevant or even present in his mind.

Pyrrha chuckled, rubbing her nose against his. "I agree." She continued to play with his hair for a few more minutes. "We're not going to get any more studying done, are we?"

Jaune grinned and tightened his hold on her. "Not if I can help it!" With one foot, he shoved the math textbook clear across the room, listening to the satisfying _thud_ of it hitting Pyrrha's dresser.

 **I thought about how to have the actual L-word brought up, and realized that Jaune would be the type to just blurt it out randomly. He's just too much of a dork to do anything else! Either that, or he'd plan out a whole thing and find himself incapable of speaking when the big moment arrived. I'll see you next week with the last chapter of this little fic!**

 **In other news, I started a bank account solely for commissions, , and other such sites and hope to have a set up soon. For commissions, I'll likely set up a GoFundMe page for my trip to Europe next year and use that to accept payments (since hates me). If you think you'll want to commission something from me, start coming up with ideas, because I hope to open up for them soon.**

 **Until next week, peace out!**


	11. Semester's End

**Well, here we are with the last chapter of this little story. I honestly didn't think it would be this long or get this popular, but I'm definitely not complaining. Though this fic is ending, I do see myself typing oneshots in this AU in the future. Enjoy!**

The walk home from their last Dag session of the semester could have been just that, if Ruby hadn't thrown that first snowball.

The group had just left the gym, feeling more than a little sweaty and carrying their jackets over their arms despite the several inches of snow on the ground. When Jaune felt the familiar, wet _thud_ of snow against the back of his head, he dropped his stuff and turned around, seeing Ruby's too-innocent expression immediately.

"Challenge accepted, Rose Knight!" he declared, grabbing his coat and gloves from his pile of stuff and putting them on in a hurry. "Come back, coward!" he shouted when his friend quickly put her things down and bolted, red cloak flapping in the wind.

Pyrrha already had her coat on and was running after Ruby. "I'll chase her down."

"Eep! Weiss, give me some backup!" Ruby called over her shoulder.

Weiss folded her arms and shook her head. "You brought this upon yourse- WHO THREW THAT?!" She spun around when a snowball hit the middle of her back, just in time to see Sun running for his life. Her eyes narrowed. She gently placed her new blue sword from the most recent building session on a bench, zipped and straightened her jacket, and then tore after Sun. "GET BACK HERE, YOU IMMATURE DUNCE!"

Nora clapped her hands excitedly. "Yay! A snowball fight!" She slipped on her mittens. "Worry not, Ice Queen! I shall help to avenge you!"

"Don't call me Ice Queen!"

Ren quietly backed away from the chaos to stand next to Blake, who had faded into the doorway as soon as the first snowball was thrown.

Once Jaune had his gloves on, he balled some snow in his fists and tried to catch up with Ruby and Pyrrha. His heavy boots and the deep snow made it difficult, but he saw that Pyrrha had caught up with Ruby and was now holding her in a bear hug.

"I caught the culprit, Arc Angel," she said as her boyfriend approached.

"I see that." A devious grin came to Jaune's face as he tossed the snowball from one hand to the otherr.

Ruby squealed and giggled as she tried to wriggle out of Pyrrha's grasp. "Mercy, good sir! Mercy!"

"Hm…" Jaune pretended to ponder the notion. "What do you think, dear Ophelia? Should I spare the Rose Knight?"

Pyrrha took on a similar faux-ponderous expression. "I do not know, my good Arc Angel. She certainly was dishonorable with her tactics. I mean, hitting you while your back was turned? Shameful!"

"True, true. Such bad behavior goes against knightly conduct. She should be disciplined." Jaune looked at the snowball for a moment before stepping forward and shoving it down Ruby's back.

"EEEEP!" Ruby yelped at the sudden coldness. As Pyrrha let her go, she clawed desperately at her back, only to shiver as the snowball melted. She glared at her two friends. "That's it. This is war."

Coco and Velvet watched with amused smiles on their faces. "Whose side do you think we should take?" Velvet asked as she watched Weiss and Nora chasing Sun, and Ruby attempting to dodge a double-attack from Jaune and Pyrrha while retaliating with her own missiles.

"Sides?" Coco snorted. "Screw sides. It's arma-freaking-geddon!" She turned toward her girlfriend, tackling her into a nearby snowpile.

Velvet squeaked in surprise before slipping her hands under Coco's jacket, tickling her stomach. She smirked when her girlfriend's grip loosened and flipped over so that she was pinning her down. "As you wish."

Jaune let out a whoop of victory as one of his snowballs hit Ruby in the arm. Ruby threw one at his chest, which he barely dodged by diving behind a bench. "Missed!" He started to stand up when a huge glob of snow from some branches overhead landed on him. "Oomph!" He shook snow from his hair and turned to see Pyrrha standing next to the tree trunk, a guilty expression on her face. "Et tu, Brute?" Jaune gasped.

"I'm sorry! I thought it would shake that other branch by Ruby." Pyrrha put a hand to her mouth to try and hide her laughter.

"A likely story. Get over here, traitor!" With that, Jaune started chasing Pyrrha around the lawn.

Pyrrha giggled as she ran from Jaune, slowing down every now and then to let him draw closer before bolting ahead. Ruby hit her with a snowball and she turned around to retaliate, beaning the smaller girl in the middle of the back. Before she could start running again, Jaune caught up and grabbed her around the middle, lifting her off the ground.

"Gotcha," he panted. "You…" Pant. "Are at my mercy!" Pant.

"Oh no, the great Arc Angel has captured me. Whatever shall I do?" Pyrrha said in a faux-damsel voice.

"Surrender. It is your only course of action, my dear Spartan," Jaune said with a devilish smirk. He blew a puff of air past her ear, causing her to shiver.

"Jaune!" she squeaked. "That tickles!"

"Worse tortures await if you don't surrender!" Jaune, feeling bold, nipped quickly at her earlobe.

"Eep!" Pyrrha jumped at the sudden, new sensation of Jaune's teeth. Glancing over her shoulder, she winked at him. "I don't know. I'm liking the idea of being a captive more and more," she purred in a sultry tone.

Jaune felt his face turn bright red. "P-Pyrrha, you're making me blush…" he muttered

"That's the idea." As Pyrrha had predicted, Jaune's flustered state caused him to loosen his grip, allowing her to pull free. She grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it down his jacket.

"ACK!" Jaune jumped, pouting at Pyrrha while trying and failing to get rid of the snow. "That wasn't fair."

"Don't they say 'All's fair in love and war'?" Pyrrha asked, smiling innocently.

At that moment, Ruby ran up and hit both of them in the chest with snowballs. "No getting distracted, you two," she chirped before running off again.

The battle would have probably lasted longer if not for the fact that everyone was already tired from Dagorhir. After a few more minutes, they met in front of the gym again. Weiss and Nora looked particularly victorious standing next to a thoroughly wet and bedraggled Sun. Coco and Velvet were equally soaked and equally happy. Ren and Blake cautiously came out of their hiding spot in the doorway. Everyone said their farewells before splitting off.

Jaune wrapped an arm around Pyrrha's shoulders. "Want to come over to my house? Mom can make hot chocolate. We should relax a bit while we have the chance. Finals are this week, after all."

"Okay." Pyrrha leaned against Jaune while they walked. "Though, do you mind if we stop at my dorm first? I need to pick up something."

When they went to the dorm, Pyrrha quickly ducked in. Jaune just managed to catch her putting something bright red into her coat pocket.

At Jaune's house, they were immediately greeted by Mrs. Arc, who took their wet jackets and instructed them to sit by the fire while she made them some cocoa. Jaune's seven year old sister Jenny ran up and hugged Pyrrha.

"Hi, Pyrrha! Why are you guys all wet?"

Pyrrha smiled and hugged the child back. "We had a snowball fight."

"Did you kick Jaune's butt?"

"Yes," Pyrrha promptly replied.

"Uh, no!" Jaune said at the same time.

Jenny snickered. "I believe Pyrrha."

Jaune ruffled Jenny's short hair. "Of course you do, you little jerk."

"You're the jerk!" Jenny stuck out her tongue.

"No, you!"

"No, you!"

Pyrrha rolled her eyes at the childish banter while Jaune's elder sister Mary popped her head out of the next room. "Hey, Jaune. Want me to get the thing?"

Jaune turned away from Jenny. "Oh! Yeah, get the thing."

"What thing?" Pyrrha asked.

"You'll see. Let's sit down." He led Pyrrha over to the largest armchair by the fire. In his mind, he was doing a happy dance. One of his simplest, but most prevailing fantasies was finally happening: cuddling with Pyrrha in front of his living room fireplace. He plopped down on the comfy cushion and held out his arms for Pyrrha, who gladly snuggled against him. "Man, I'm going to miss you over break," he sighed.

"I'll miss you too," Pyrrha said, resting her head on his shoulder. She looked up quizzically when Mary walked over and held out a wrapped package.

"Is this the right one?"

"Yeah, that's it. Thanks." Jaune took the package with a smile.

"He agonized for days over what to get," Mary said to Pyrrha. "Like, he went from sister to sister asking for advice. It was a little sad."

"Okay, Mary. Bye!" Jaune shoved her away with one hand, rolling his eyes.

Pyrrha looked at the package. "Oh, is that for Christmas?" When Jaune nodded, she stood. "In that case, I'd better get yours. One moment." She went to where her jacket was hung and took her small gift from the pocket. She returned to the armchair and handed Jaune the present.

For a few seconds, the two were silent as they unwrapped their parcels. Jaune saw his present first and gasped. "Sweet! I needed new dice." He held the tiny dice box to the light and his eyes widened. Pyrrha had gotten him a really pretty dice set: white with a shiny gold marble pattern. "These are awesome, Pyrrha. Thanks!"

"I got them in Arc Angel's colors," Pyrrha explained as she finished unwrapping her present. It was a small, slightly-heavy box. When she lifted the lid, her mouth dropped open.

Sitting inside was a bronze-colored metal headpiece. It had thin, decorative chains in the back that had tiny green stones hanging from them. She lifted it carefully, wondering if it was an antique.

Jaune noticed how careful she was being. "Oh, don't worry. It's not fragile. I thought it would go with your Dag character."

"Jaune, this is gorgeous," Pyrrha murmured, still staring at the band. "Where did you get it?"

"Barty knows a metalworker in Mistral, and convinced him to give me a discount on one of his pieces." Jaune noticed his girlfriend's worried look and quickly added: "It was totally within my price range, don't worry!"

Pyrrha smiled, kissing Jaune's cheek. "That's a relief. I'd hate to think of you spending all your money on me." She traced the edge of it, admiring the handiwork. "Thank you, Jaune. This is just grand."

"Why don't you try it on?" Jaune asked eagerly.

"Okay." Pyrrha lifted the headpiece and carefully put it on. It fit perfectly. The weight on her forehead would take some getting used to, but there was no discomfort. She turned toward Jaune. "So, how do I look?"

Jaune was speechless. The light from the fireplace had already lent a glow to Pyrrha's cheeks and an extra shine to her emerald eyes. Now, it caused the headpiece to shine and the false jewels to shimmer, surrounding his girlfriend with a halo of radiance. Not for the first time, he wondered how he had won over such an amazing, beautiful girl.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha urged gently, smiling at the cute, stunned expression on her boyfriend's face. "I didn't break you, did I?"

"Huh?" Jaune blinked dumbly before letting out a sheepish laugh. "Uh, sorry. Um, this will sound really lame, but you look like a literal goddess right now."

Pyrrha blushed bright red and glanced to the side. _He really needs to stop being so adorable._ "Now, you're the one making me blush," she murmured.

Jaune tilted her face back toward his, brushing his lips against her warm cheek. "It's nice to see I can one-up you sometimes."

"For the record," Mary's voice called from the doorway. "That was totally lame, Jaune."

"Mary! Out!" Jaune picked up a pillow and threw it at Mary, who nimbly dodged by disappearing into the next room.

Mrs. Arc came in a minute later with two mugs of cocoa. A handful of mini marshmallows were in each cup. "Here you go. There are cookies in the oven. I can take you back to the dorms at eleven, Pyrrha. I'd feel better if you didn't have to walk back."

"Thank you, Mrs. Arc," Pyrrha said. When Jaune's mother left, she glanced at him. "I see where you get your over-protectiveness from."

Jaune shrugged. "Hey. Can you blame me if I want my girl to make it home safely?"

Pyrrha just smiled before turning to her mug. She paused before taking a sip. "Are these marshmallows in the shape of bunnies?"

"Uh, yeah." Jaune shrugged. "Bunnies were my favorite animal growing up, so Mom would always order a giant bag of the special bunny marshmallows at the beginning of every winter. It's a bit of a tradition."

"They're cute," Pyrrha said, looking at the tiny, fluffy shapes. "And don't lie. You still love bunnies."

"Yeah," Jaune admitted. "They're just so soft! And their noses are always twitching."

"Well, you're not the only one. Velvet's Dag character is named after a rabbit in _Watership Down_ , if I'm not mistaken."

"She lent me that book a year ago. I can't believe I hadn't read it before. I'll have to see if Blake's read it. She might like it."

"Which character is your favorite? Mine was always Fiver."

"I like Bigwig. He was tough and confident, but also able to learn. I love characters like that."

The two continued to talk for several hours. At one point, Mrs. Arc brought some freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies into the room and left them on the table with two new mugs of cocoa. Jaune made sure that some cookies had been put aside to give Ruby later on. At ten fifty, Mrs. Arc went to warm up the car.

Pyrrha hugged Jaune tightly. Her stomach was full of sweets, her body was tired from Dag practice combined with the snowball fight, and she was doubly warm due to Jaune's presence and the crackling fire nearby. She really didn't want to leave.

Jaune nuzzled kisses into Pyrrha's hair, trying to keep from smudging the headpiece, which she had refused to take off throughout the visit. "Let's do this again after finals."

"You read my mind," Pyrrha sighed. "I'll definitely need this after those tests."

"Don't start thinking about them till tomorrow," Jaune yawned.

"I won't." Pyrrha glanced toward the door before pulling Jaune into a kiss. Though their kisses had gotten more heated over the last few weeks, this one remained simple and innocent. This was partially due to how tired they were, partially due to the likelihood of a sister walking through the room at any given time.

Jaune smiled in the kiss, savoring the taste of chocolate on Pyrrha's lips and the way she sighed happily against him when he hugged her closer. He heard footsteps from the hallway and reluctantly moved back as his mom entered the room.

"The car's ready. Do you want to come too, Jaune?"

"Okay." Jaune stood up. He wouldn't be able to stay at the dorm. Pyrrha had reached the guest limit for the month the previous week after Pathfinder. But, he wouldn't say no to the chance to hold Pyrrha's hand in the back seat for a few extra minutes. _Wow,_ he thought. _Ruby wasn't kidding when she called me the "King Sap."_

The car ride was short, but Jaune was still glad that he didn't need to worry about his girlfriend walking home alone. She could certainly take care of herself, but he preferred it when she didn't have to. He held her hand, rubbing gently at her knuckle with a thumb. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. The lights from the street lamps outside managed to catch her new headpiece, causing it to shine faintly in the dark car. _Man, she's beautiful._

They pulled into the parking lot and Pyrrha turned to kiss him goodnight. It was a quick kiss, but not too quick to feel the warmth between them. "Goodnight, Jaune. I love you." She pecked his cheek again before unbuckling her seatbelt and opening the car door.

"I love you too, Pyrrha! Night." Jaune leaned back in his seat after the door closed, watching to make sure Pyrrha got in the dorm safely.

Once the door to the dorm building was closed, Mrs. Arc glanced over her shoulder at her son. "She really is a nice girl. I like her a lot."

Jaune grinned. "So do I, Mom. So do I."

Pyrrha checked in at the front desk before going up to the room. Weiss, of course, was still awake and at her laptop. "Don't overwork yourself like I did," she warned as she walked in.

"I won't," Weiss replied crisply. She opened another file before looking at her roommate. "Did you and Jaune have a nice evening?" She blinked when she noticed the headpiece. "Did he give you that? It's gorgeous!"

Pyrrha touched her headpiece. Her eyes fell on Weiss's mirror on the door. "Goddess" might have been an exaggeration, but she couldn't deny that this new accessory looked pretty good on her. "He did. And the evening was grand."

Weiss, despite her preoccupation with finals, couldn't help but return her friend's excited smile. "I'm glad to hear that." She returned to her laptop. "Let me know if my typing keeps you up."

"I'm used to it by now," Pyrrha assured her. She sat down at her own desk and started to open some of her own notes, before Jaune's instructions ran in her head. _I suppose I can relax until tomorrow,_ she reasoned. Exing out of a study document, she instead plugged in her headphones and brought up her Skyrim game.

She leaned back in her chair and started to play. After a few minutes, however, her phone buzzed. It was a text from Jaune.

" _Good luck studying tomorrow. Love you!"_ There was a little "less than three" sideways heart at the end of the message.

Pyrrha smiled as she typed back: _"You too. I love you!"_ She ended her message with a smiley face before hitting send.

She turned her game back on, allowing herself to forget about her upcoming exams for a little while longer. Everything felt so good at that moment, and she wanted that to last for as long as possible.

 **Why yes, I did have Jaune give Pyrrha her signature headpiece. Why? Well, I'm a sap, that's why. I'll finish this story with an exciting announcement for those who don't know: I'm open for commissions! Message me if you're interested. I already have one slot of five filled. Also, I have started a GoFundMe page called Send Tori to Europe (which will also serve as my method of taking commission payments, due to how easy it is to work with). If you're feeling generous and want to help me go to Europe next year, I'll appreciate whatever you can offer.**

 **Next week, I'll be posting the first chapter of my Werewolf AU, Once in a Shattered Moon. It already promises to be a long one, and I'm really excited about what I have for it so far. See you then. Peace out!**


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